Generally, when you embark on a new venture you get training, education and background information ahead before you start, unless of course you are going to college -- where you pay to learn.
I can't fault (brace yourself) for Stone wanting to have background information, learn about village and board policies and procedures, learn about Robert's Rules of Orders, the pulse of the entire community, the history of some issues in the village etc. etc. etc.
But not on my dime. Or anyone else's dime for that matter.
Much of the voyages on a long day's journey into night are brought on by Liza's incessant asking for clarifications and asking proper procedures. Much of what she asks for are standard practices, whether she sees it that way or not.
All you have to do is attend most any Village Board, School Board, Park Board, Plan Commission or any civic meeting to see how they're run. Period.
As noted here before, Stone's incessant challenges and misuse of the agenda have lead to long, drawn out meetings. Length be damned, an end result is that Ms. Stone takes up an excessive amount of time trying to make a polenta when one isn't there.
So how does this cost the residents?
Glad you asked.
When Stone grandstands, it extends the meetings -- at the very least, it means the village has to pay for additional video taping for Ch. 6. Residents want to see village business, not personal campaigning. Cha-ching.
Some of her accusations have required additional work by Village Attorney William Raysa. He's a nice guy, but I'm sure he doesn't see the village as a charity case. My guess is there have been additional fees above and beyond the usual and customary expectations -- let along what the village has budgeted. Cha-Ching.
Her excessive demands on staff take them away from the day-to-day operations of the village. Granted, the staff should support the board's initiatives, it is not, however, there to be personal secretaries for Board members. Time is, however, money and its money that does not belong to the Board or any one Board member -- it belongs to the residents who expect the village staff -- and the Board -- to handle the funds as their own.
Sure, a counter argument may be -- well, Stan, what about the fees spent to write up the reprimand, recall ordinance, an ordinance outlining procedures for "corporate authorities" or code of conduct?
These were, unfortunately, mostly a reaction to Stone's method of operation at Board meetings.
Ms. Stone should not expect village residents to fund her "education" -- it's something she should have done before running for trustee and certainly not something residents want to pay for. The village has traditionally been prudent in its use of its funds.
When it comes to use village funds, my guess is residents want their tax dollars to have a positive return on investment.
However, now it seems as though it may have reached the point of no return -- in more ways than one.
No comments:
Post a Comment