Dec 20, 2014 2 min read

I’m glad that North Franklin Township has a budget surplus. However, the current board of supervisors should take little or no credit for it.

The fact is that the township faced severe financial difficulties in the 1990s and in the early part of the last decade. Very difficult decisions were made by a number of North Franklin boards to maintain the financial security of the township.

Actions to build a ball park and develop the area around it were a major accomplishment of myself and fellow supervisors Mike Quinn and Carole Beck. Actions to preserve, maintain and build on Washington Crown Center mall were critical in preserving the business district of the township.

Quinn was absolutely essential in making sure that roads were paved and built, and several boards made smart financial decisions to refinance that is still being paid, but at a lower interest rate.

Dennis Dydiw, another supervisor, was critical in issues of budget and bonds and greatly helped in solidifying the financial situation of the township.

The current board is benefiting from the work of previous boards. It is disappointing that the current board or any resident of the township would take credit for what was achieved in the past.

The township now has a surplus, but it also has a huge, unpaid debt. Additionally, our roads are the worst they have been in 20 years. Our police department does not patrol the neighborhoods and is failing miserably in treating all township residents equally. The supervisors, while taking a victory lap, should begin to solve the other large issues that still confront the township.

Bob Sabot

North Franklin Township

Sabot was a supervisor in North Franklin Township from 1998 to 2004.