Time for A'town trustees to grow up -- politically

Here's a message for Austintown Township trustees David Ditzler and Bo Pritchard: The election is over. Lisa Oles won. Get over it.
And here's a wake-up call for Oles: You weren't crowned township trustee. You were elected by the people of Austintown, just as Ditzler and Pritchard were. They have as much right to sit on the board as you do. Get over it.
The way the three trustees have been behaving since Oles was sworn in earlier this month not only reflects poorly on government as an institution but brings into question their commitment to public service. They seem more interested in verbal jousting than they do addressing the urgent problems confronting the township.
For Oles to publicly declare that her professional relationship with her two fellow trustees has been destroyed and can never be repaired shows an immaturity that does not inspire confidence.
And for Ditzler and Pritchard to trap the freshman into voting on a resolution that was not even necessary reveals the kind of pettiness usually found on a school playground. It should be beneath these two veteran officeholders.
The resolution that was proposed last week by Ditzler simply confirmed an action taken earlier by him, Pritchard and former Trustee Rich Edwards to place a 2.5-mill police on the March ballot.
Fiscal responsibility
Oles defeated Edwards last November -- fiscal responsibility was the main plank of her platform -- and that prompted Ditzler to say he was not in favor of the levy's remaining on the ballot unless all three trustees supported it. The statement was designed to force Oles to vote on the resolution.
Since being sworn in, the new trustee has made it clear that she would not support placing the police levy on the ballot until she had completed her analysis of the township's financial condition.
But Ditzler obviously wanted her to publicly record her vote, which she did with a "no" on the resolution to keep the levy issue on the ballot. Ditzler and Pritchard voted "yes."
"We have no relationship," Oles said of her colleagues the morning after the vote. "They have burned a bridge that they will never cross again."
No, they haven't burned any bridges, because the job of a trustee isn't that complicated. They are required by statute to take care of the health, safety and welfare of township residents.
They don't have to like one another, but the time has come for them to bury their differences and join hands -- figuratively, at least -- in working for the betterment of the community.
There's too much to be done, foremost of which is dealing with a budget that's bleeding red ink.
It's time for Ditzler, Pritchard and Oles to grow up -- politically, at least.