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Dear Editor:
Recently a former Noblesville Township board member wrote a letter suggesting that township government is not needed.
First, does it make you wonder why that person would run for an office that he didn’t believe in? He also ran for a second term but was not re-elected. As I recall, he took his full salary and benefits that he was complaining about.
He speaks of the limited duties and general uselessness of Trustees and Boards. Has he not heard of the devastating financial impact of COVID-19 on low wages earners? The Noblesville Township Trustee Office remained open to the public except for a brief two-week closure during the height of the pandemic in 2020 to service the needs of our community. We were far more accessible to the citizens than either the county or city government were during that very difficult time. Many evictions were avoided before a moratorium was declared by the state and federal government. This was a benefit to all of us.
Complaints were leveled about the township paying for fire department protection in rural areas outside the city limit proper on farmland, which, according to the writer, have no structures to go up in flames. There are a significant number of homes outside the city limit.
The reality is that EMS service is about 90 percent of the cost of fire department runs. Many more serious accidents happen on county roads than on city streets. The township pays the city on a formula based on the fire department budget and a run ratio between city and township runs. The cost to the taxpayer would remain the same if townships were eliminated. That difference would then be added to your city tax levy. You just can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip.
I think most of our citizens recognize the importance of the trustee office to the community. My staff, board members, and I proudly served the low-wage earners, the seriously ill, the physically or mentally handicapped, and the retirees whose social security checks just don’t stretch far enough to pay all the bills.
We attempt to help the homeless, many of whom are mentally ill, alcoholic, or drug addicted. We need help there. In recent years, the city police and fire departments have begun to work with us to help alleviate the problem. More work needs to be done.
In summary, the township trustee office is an invaluable part of our town. It would be far more costly to the community if these problems were left unaddressed. Simply turning our authority over to the county would not get the desired result. They are much more focused on handling growth, economic development, building and maintaining roads, and managing all the various department already under their charge.
Voting for a good trustee and board is a much better solution.
Tom Kenley
Noblesville