Many have asked who I support for Township Treasurer and Clerk in the upcoming primary election. As you may be aware, these are the other two full-time elected positions within Township Hall. It is vitally important to have a strong working environment not only for the other eight department heads, but the entire staff. This doesn’t mean agreeing blindly on issues, it means being committed to the greater good, and making others around you better. It means having integrity. It means setting aside differences and letting others win. This is not a new concept. It is in play daily from the conference rooms of corporate America to the dinner tables in your households. I’m proud of the record of accomplishment of the Township staff over the last four years and humbled for the opportunity to be a small part of it. The credit goes to them.
Unfortunately, if you tune into our Board meetings, you will see that we have lost that environment here at Township Hall. Collaboration and teamwork has given away to infighting and underhanded tricks – everything that people hate about politics. Commitment and integrity are regularly challenged. Our Clerk has recently been quoted “never defend an error, go by the book and don’t take shortcuts.” I couldn’t agree more.
There’s no question running as an incumbent provides strategic advantages. There is nothing wrong with that. There are however, laws that dictate what can and cannot be done by an incumbent seeking re-election. On May 16, 2016 a concerned resident spoke to the board and voiced her concerns about the clerk using her office for campaign purposes. Specifically the use of her township email and cell phone. At that meeting we were all given copies of the Michigan compiled laws and reminded of the importance of following them. A month later, the same resident filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request asking to see if Township resources were being used for campaign purposes. The result of the FOIA was that in fact they were being used, even a month after we were put on notice. Since that time, the Department of State has launched an investigation into this matter and further complaints have arisen.
Elections should be free and fair and completely transparent. No person should have a material advantage based on the office they hold. There have been other concerns from residents regarding voter drives, timing of absentee ballots, and access to mailing lists. And from the Treasurer’s office, for the FIRST time in the last four years, everyone received a nice picture of our Treasurer with their tax bill, and a list of accomplishments. For some reason, he decided to send a photo of himself within a day or two of 2000 or so absentee ballots being mailed to the same residents. I think it stinks and is a misuse of Township resources for personal political gain.
So why am I supporting Donni and Jenn? Is it purely because of the frustration with the current Treasurer and Clerk? Absolutely not. I challenge you to get to know them. Both have completely committed to these races and our community. Both bring fresh ideas, innovation, and a commitment to teamwork. (Neither are politicians.) They are so passionate about what they bring, that they have already knocked on nearly 8000 doors to meet you.
Elections are important. I challenge you to do your homework. It’s for the above reasons I’m supporting Donni Steele for Treasurer and Jenn Zielinski for Clerk. I hope you will join me.
Chris Barnett
Orion Township Supervisor
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In a letter published in the Orion Review by the Supervisor, on July 20, Mr. Barnett seeks once again to deceive the public. I have included with this letter a copy of an email that was sent to Mr. Barnett where I provided information to him concerning the notice that had gone in the tax bills. Even while possessing the correct information, he has clearly decided FOR YOU what you should perceive. Election or not, tax bills ALWAYS go out on July 1, the cited insert has been included in bills for two years and finally, the picture used is the same used for all Township business, including the website. Mr. Barnett does not get a tax bill and is not an Orion taxpayer.
Sadly, to the detriment of our Township, Mr. Barnett has had a continuous problem with the truth, since day one. The unrelenting and compulsive spin and twist has been a problem that has been a constant and increasing challenge for me and the Clerk. I have been reluctant to bring much of this to the public eye, always clinging to the hope some level of decorum and respectability would return to our Township Hall. This is not what our government is meant to be.
This exchange is yet another example of Mr. Barnett using all resources available to him; your resources, by the way, to further HIS candidates, agenda and control of the Board. During the recent televised persecution of our Clerk, he used the term “inherent advantage”. What greater inherent advantage can there be than Mr. Barnett, himself, promoting and campaigning for other candidates in every event, gathering, discussion and article? The source of the widely recognized shame of the sitting Board becomes more obvious every passing day. In closing, readers should know I do not enjoy bring items such as this to the press, however in each instance that I have, it has been due to misleading statements having been made, usually by Mr. Barnett, that demand a response.
Truly yours,
Mark C. Thurber
Orion Township Treasurer
REFERENCED EMAIL BELOW:
From: Mark Thurber
Date: July 15, 2016 at 2:41:20 PM EDT
To: Chris Barnett
Subject: RE: Request for information for July 18 Board meeting
Chris:
Sure, I can tell you all about it. This item is called a “Buck slip”. I have answered your questions below and blind copied the Board.
1) Why did some residents receive insert and others did not? What process was used to determine who received?
My office does not stuff envelopes, apply postage or send out tax bills, en masse. We use a service for that. There are, from time to time, returned bills that must be addressed manually, but that is a tiny fraction and I gave no direction on the buck slip for those. The order has always been for the buck slip to go into all Twp. and Village tax bills, which is done in an automated fashion. So, if there is someone missing one, it was fully in the hands of the service, probably just a fluke, but I would gladly supply as many copies as they’d like.
2) Who prepared the insert? Who prepared the mailing / stuffed the envelopes?
Same answer as above. The process has been the same since before I got here.
3) Who authorized this insert and when did the practice begin?
We have been sending these in tax bills for two years and were put together primarily to shepherd folks through the adaptation of credit card processing; you’ll notice the content is primarily that. In the winter bills, we did a nice Christmassy green one. It has been working very well, with many people positively referencing the buck slips when calling or stopping in. Sending this does not require your authorization, providing payment information is a necessary part of my job as the Treasurer.
4) What was the cost to produce this insert?
Since Tandem [accounts payable clerk] is out today, finding the invoice will need to wait until she returns, but if memory serves, it is under $300 total. This is the least expensive means by which to pass needed information to our tax payers.
___________________________
Mark C. Thurber
Township Treasurer
Charter Township of Orion
2525 Joslyn Rd.
Lake Orion, MI 48360
P: (248) 391-0304, ext. 123
F: (248) 391-1484
E: mthurber@oriontownship.org
W: http://www.oriontownship.org
From: Chris Barnett Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2016 4:22 PM To: Mark Thurber Subject: Request for information for July 18 Board meeting
Mark (and Board by blind copy),
I have had several inquiries from the public regarding the attached insert sent in the summer tax bills. Please provide the following information before the Board meeting Monday night:
1) Why did some residents receive insert and others did not? What process was used to determine who received?
2) Who prepared the insert? Who prepared the mailing / stuffed the envelopes?
3) Who authorized this insert and when did the practice begin?
4) What was the cost to produce this insert?
Thank you,
______________________
Chris Barnett, Supervisor
Charter Township of Orion
2525 Joslyn Rd.
Lake Orion, MI 48360
P: (248) 391-0304, Ext. 201
F: (248) 393-6858
E: cbarnett@oriontownship.org
W: http://www.oriontownship.org