Board expansion question to appear on Nov. 3 ballot<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
JENKINS TWP. \u2014 Jenkins Township Supervisors, during a special meeting on Wednesday, voted to include a referendum question on the Nov. 3 ballot to expand the number of supervisors from three to five.<\/p>\n
The resolution was passed with a vote of 2-1. Stanley Rovinski and Joseph Sperrazza voted to approve, while Robert Linskey cast the lone nay vote.<\/p>\n
Both Rovinski and Sperrazza, during the meeting, said they thought residents should have the right to decide whether the board is expanded from three to five members.<\/p>\n
Linskey, on the other hand, felt there was no need for more members, and adding them would place an unnecessary financial burden on the township.<\/p>\n
Six residents spoke during the public comment section, all in favor of passing the resolution.<\/p>\n
Coreen Milazzo, who previously served on the board of supervisors, said she believed expanding the board would be in the township\u2019s best interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think adding two members of the board would help in your workload, would help in subcommittees, would help with communication to the community. Let\u2019s face it, this is a lot of work. I wouldn\u2019t say that if I didn\u2019t know, and 20 years ago it wasn\u2019t anywhere near where it is today,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Dino Rodeghiero, of Westminster Road, thanked the supervisors for all the work they do, and concurred that adding more would help lighten the workload.<\/p>\n
\u201cA little oversight for those in charge of the oversight wouldn\u2019t be a bad idea either,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In explaining his feelings on the resolution, Rovinski said the decision to expand or not expand should be up to the voters, not the supervisors.<\/p>\n
Linskey, however, was not in favor of putting the question on the ballot because he saw \u201cno reason\u201d to add more supervisors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t feel like the workload is overwhelming or anything that we shouldn\u2019t be able to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The potential cost of adding two more supervisors was also a concern for Linskey.<\/p>\n
Based on his own calculations, Linskey estimated two additions to the board could potentially cost the township upwards of $100,000 annually, when factoring in salaries, healthcare benefits, and other incidentals.<\/p>\n
In order to cover the added expenses, Linskey worried tax millage would need to increase.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s gonna be an added expense to the township that we don\u2019t need,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
When asked by residents if a new supervisor could refuse salary and healthcare benefits, the board said they would have the option to do that.<\/p>\n
However, the board\u2019s attorney, Girard Mecadon, clarified that while someone could refuse a salary, the township couldn\u2019t make the supervisor position volunteer, as the statute requires the position to be paid.<\/p>\n
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