Barking up wrong tree
After a second article in the Observer-Reporter regarding the Act 13 impact fee and municipal spending practices, I feel the need to speak up. There seems to be an attempt to create the impression that local govermnent is doing something wrong or acting incompetently and we need the state to oversee everything we do.
After decades of unfunded mandates, the Legislature did something right for local government. They realized the impact of the gas industry and created a way to give back to these communities.
There is already an oversight vehicle in place to insure the money is properly spent. It is our Right to Know Law. This law makes the finances of municipalities open to any interested parties.
The impact fee is required to be in a separate account and is audited annually, along with all other accounts. It is advertised in local newspapers that the audit is open for review, as per state law.
If you are looking for a controversial story, you are barking up the wrong tree. There is nothing here. Why don’t you do an article about how much municipalities have to pay for signage, street lights and stormwater management along state roads?
Shirl Barnhart
Morgan
Barnhart is the chairman of Morgan Township Board of Supervisors.