Every year, 1,242 of Michigan’s townships send their officials to the Michigan Township Association (MTA) Annual Educational Conference and Trade Expo.
Some see the MTA as very beneficial for local governments, helping township officials govern their townships more efficiently and improve the services they provide to Michigan’s four million-plus township residents.
But it’s not the conference itself that upsets some Oxford Township residents ? it’s the $1,548 hotel bill and other miscellanious expenses.
Trustees Sue Bellairs, Pat Fitchena, Charlie Kniffen and Doleen Behnke are each planning on attending the Jan. 8-11 conference at the Detroit Marriot inside the Renaissance Center.
Although the cost for the actual conference is $210 per person, each of their registered hotel rooms at the Detroit Marriot is calculated at $129 per night.
On top of that, each of the trustees will be paid $110 a day by the township because the conference is considered as a regular meeting.
The total cost to the township to send the four trustees to the MTA conference would be $4,148. That total doesn’t include the valet parking and food expenses the group will accumulate during their time in Detroit.
‘I go to Detroit frequently and I never felt the need to stay overnight,? said township resident Buck Cryderman. ‘I think it’s a terrible waste of money when the township is having a hard time as it is.?
Although Cryderman agreed that the conference sounded beneficial for the township, he said it was ‘ludicrous? that the trustees have to have a hotel for the three nights.
‘I think you must think us taxpayers are really sort of crazy that we won’t notice that and we won’t care,? he told the board.
Trustee Kniffen noted a lot of those attending the conference stay the night because a lot of the officials meet up afterwards for ‘coffee? and discuss issues into the night that they can’t during the conference.
Trustee Fitchena said it’s merely a safety issue. ‘Our township has women who go by themselves,? she said. ‘You’re not real comfortable coming out (to the parking garage) at Joe Louis Arena to come home at nine ‘o’clock at night.?
Oxford resident Harvey Westley disagreed with the trustee’s reasoning, saying his wife is down in Detroit often and frequently walks by herself to get to her car.
‘You’re going as a group,? he said. ‘Can’t you carpool and walk together??
In the end, the board decided to authorize the conference trip and reimburse each of the trustees $387 for their hotel expenses charged to their personal credit cards.
Although Supervisor Bill Dunn was absent from Wednesday’s meeting, Deputy Supervisor Deanna Burns said he made his feelings about the conference known at the last Planning Commission meeting.
‘Bill said as long as he’s had employees that he had to permanenetly lay-off and other employees that he had to put to part-time, that he was not going to attend these conferences,? she said.