Request was about
trying to save money
was saddened to read that Mayor (Timothy) Konopka considers the questioning of errors in billing practices in Howell Planning Board accounts as "filthy politics."
I am a recently appointed member of the Planning Board and I approach my position seriously. At the Sept. 15 Township Council meeting I raised several areas of concern. Lost in the sensationalism and attacks by the mayor is the fact that the board is requesting $40,000 in additional funding for the remainder of the year. I personally do not believe this is warranted and I believe every member of the board should be held accountable for the overspending.
Errors, whether honest mistakes or purposefully, are serious business. Perhaps the mayor has forgotten that the Open Public Records Act requires all bills be open to public inspection, and every bill must be accompanied by a certification that the bill is true and correct. Also, Mayor Konopka neglected to mention that every action by a government agency, including paying of bills, is regulated by state law.
To point out errors in Planning Board records has nothing to do with politics, it has to do with fiscal responsibility with taxpayers’ hard-earned money. In fact, there were two double billings and the audit turned up several other errors totaling $800.
No one ever inferred that the errors were anything more than honest mistakes that slipped by a very busy office. In fact, if the matter was addressed back in June (when I first requested the records), it would not have escalated from a simple private questioning of accounting practices to a full-blown media attack on my character.
The majority of my public discussion the evening of Sept. 15, focused on recommendations for changing business practices that will enable the council and Planning Board to better manage and contain spending. The council and CFO agreed to implement "not to exceed" financial allocations to all of our consulting professionals. This will prevent "blank-check" billing that can occur in consulting work.
Discussed at length was the need for the Planning Board to define how Howell should be developed through updating elements of the master plan, vs. being defined by developers. The tremendous rate of development is a concern to all the residents of Howell, including myself. Long-term planning is needed to define the future growth of Howell over the next three or four decades. This can only be achieved with a strong master plan that clearly defines how and where the township will grow.
Bob Trento
Howell