Jefferson Township Trustees Mark Gatton (left) and Fritz Ackerman with fiscal officer Dave Taylor conduct the affairs of the township at a recent twice-monthly, regular meeting. In the audience were Peg Mershorn, editor of the Bellville Star and Top Walker, township fire chief. Seated in back were Rob McConkie, township road superintendent and Bernie Hollar, assistant fire chief.

TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT; A BARGAIN—

The closer government is to home the better the bang for our tax bucks, and, for we rural folks it doesn’t get any closer than the township hall.

Here is an example: On my recent property tax bill local schools claimed nearly 60 percent of my taxes while the county, township, local health department and the county library system shared the remaining 40 per cent.

For the portion I pay the township in property taxes they maintain my road in the summer, plow my snow in the winter and provide my fire protection, rescue squad and ambulance service.

And, it certainly does not end there.

At the recent meeting I attended, here are some items that crossed their table: A driveway drain pipe matter, some ditch drainage issues, a line of vision complaint, a donation’s dispersal, state funding for road projects, locks for the bicycle trail, tar and chip projects, new fire station completion issues, a public records seminar, road borings by a public utility, new road signs, bridge maintenance, an insurance settlement for a fire truck accident, dump truck maintenance, a contract for snow removal at the fire station and legal questions regarding emergency snow plow drivers.

There are three elected trustees, John Kindt, Fritz Ackerman and Mark Gatton, and, their elected fiscal officer, Dave Taylor.

For the estimated 2,500 folks who live in the township outside the village of Bellville, they are our local government.

Under new business, trustee Ackerman advised his colleague in attendance, trustee Gatton, he, Ackerman, had purchased a pie to support the local schools in their auction at the recent street fair on behalf of the board of trustees. He went on to mention the school group’s "thank you".

With it sometimes being protocol to share such expenditures personally Gatton asked, “What happened to the pie?”

Ackerman confessed. He ate it.

(Fogeyisms later learned the pie did sell for $60 but Gatton was excused from the obligation because they had no prior arrangement for the bidding.)

With that nice bit of bonhomie the meeting was adjourned in about an hour.

Kindt was absent.