I’ve been asked by numerous people around town who I ‘believe? in the Orion Township investments issue, a topic that has taken up a disproportionately large amount of the Township Board’s time lately.
The truth is, like many of you, I don’t know who to believe. But, it’s not my job to believe somebody, it’s my job to find the facts. And, as a fact finder, this is one of those stories that is taking a little bit longer than it should.
‘At least you’re getting some good ink out of this,? Township Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk joked with me recently. Unfortunately, this type of ‘good ink? often means ‘bad ink? for someone else. In this instance, the bad belongs to Orion Township.
The Township has acted somewhat clumsily, rather slowly, and, in a more recent development, a bit too publicly on this matter.
It’s clear now that the Township Supervisor, Treasurer and even the Clerk are taking this matter personally. When these type of emotions get involved, it can become difficult to decipher the facts from the opinions.
Though putting emotion into your work can sometimes be a good thing, it’s hard to argue that it’s not been detrimental in this process. At times, they’ve all forgotten that the main issue is about $60,000, and is not about making remarks to each other.
So, if emotions are getting the best of these three Township employees, who should we turn to for answers?
Well, aside from the Township Attorney, only four other people have sat in on all three meetings (two private and one public) regarding this issue: the Township Trustees.
Matthew Gibb said seeing documentation of where the questioned commissions came from would put his mind at ease, and I would agree. Mike Gingell made a motion to send a letter to the Treasurer detailing all of the board’s concerns, hoping that return correspondence answers Gibb’s predicament, and any others that linger.
Sure, that might drag the process out even longer, but if finding the absolute indisputable facts comes at the expense of a bit of speed, that’s just fine with me. It’s better that the Board get the right answers than have somebody else correct them down the road.
Besides, I might just get some more ‘good ink? in the process.
I think everyone on the Board is doing what they think is right, and what they feel is best for the township. For that reason, I don’t have an issue with any of them. But my job is to find the facts, and doing so with this Board in their current state of ‘he said, she said? is not an easy task.
Who should we trust? Ultimately I think the answer is in their name.
Gutzon Borglum once designed a famous monument in Keystone, South Dakota. Maybe you’ve been there before or seen a picture of it.
If and when Garlicki, Gibb, Gingell and Steimel get to the bottom of this issue, we might have to resurrect Borglum for one more project.
Unfortunately, his commissions would probably top out at quite a bit more than $60,000.