Trustees' response to Liberty fire levy was unnerving

Trustees' response to Liberty fire levy was unnerving
EDITOR:
In a Feb. 26 editorial, The Vindicator chided Girard for its failure to timely place a .25 percent tax levy on the ballot for the police department, parodying the famous Abbott and Costello comedy routine, "Who's on First." Coming up out of left field and vying for that position are none other than the Liberty Township trustees.
At the Feb. 14 meeting, item 20 on the agenda was a motion to place a 1.5-mill fire renewal levy on the May 2005 ballot. This would not raise taxes. When the township administrator requested a motion from the three sitting trustees, neither a yea nor nay was heard in the meeting room. Over the hush, the administrator joked, "going once, going twice." Finally, the chairperson stated the trustees wanted to give the school levy an opportunity to pass and not confuse the voters by having multiple levies on the ballot. The chairperson went on to state that the trustees were aware it would cost twice as much to place the levy on the ballot later in the year. Fire Chief Durkin emphasized the importance of, and argued for, the renewal, saying it would generate a badly needed $235,000. The trustees were not moved by his plea. No one can be held accountable for dropping the ball by failing to inform the trustees of the pending fire levy; after all, it was on the agenda.
I do not have a problem if the trustees want to support the school levy, either privately or publicly, individually or as a group. I do, however, have a problem when they believe the residents of Liberty Township are intellectually challenged and need their guidance in voting. Presented with all the facts, the residents can decide whether they want to vote for either, neither, or both levies. Just as disturbing is the trustees' attitude of "it's just [your] money" in recognizing this same levy will cost twice as much to put on a future ballot. Everyone wants good schools and everyone wants a rapid response when they place a 911 call. With a war on terror being waged in this country and with the safety forces being our first responders against emergencies, including the Liberty Schools, what were the trustees thinking when they made this decision?
If the trustees harbor the erroneous notion that safety levies almost always pass when on the ballot, a good look at the surrounding communities and counties will reveal they are handing out layoff notices. In our own community, the trustees twice last year in their monthly meetings entertained the thought of closing our 911 center to return to the county. We owe a debt of gratitude to those both inside and outside the township administration building who were diligent and spoke up against those ill advised efforts and retained our successful 911 Call Center.
EDWARD E. PALUMBO
Liberty Township
A 'tip' for the treasurer
EDITOR:
Here we go again. It seems to me, when we the people have the audacity to vote down a tax or levy, the powers that be go into the "we'll show you" mode. Our treasurer, Mr. Reardon, decided to curtail the TIP program, saying, "the cancellation is directly related to the failure of the voters to renew the half percent sales tax." He doesn't have the money to buy stamps and envelopes. Give me a break!
The manner in which they accomplished this disturbs me. Also the message on their answering machine as late as the second week of February was that we would receive our TIPs by the first week of March.
There is no doubt in my mind that we will see the half percent sales tax on the ballot again, soon. We'll also see the office of Mahoning County treasurer on the ballot.
JOHN R. CUNNINGHAM
Salem