At a special ceremony on Nov. 20, the newly-elected Shelby Township Board of Trustees was sworn in by District Judge Douglas Shepherd. From left are Supervisor Richard Stathakis, Clerk Terri Kowal, Treasurer Paul Viar, and Trustees Michael Flynn, Lisa Manzella, Paula Filar and Douglas Wozniak. Source photo by Chris Williams

Supervisor Richard Stathakis, along with trustees Michael Flynn and Douglas Wozniak, were sworn in at a special ceremony Nov. 20 in the Shelby Township Municipal Center. And while the new trustees spent much of the afternoon eating cake and exchanging hearty handshakes with members of the local government, they will need to be willing to get right to work to solve the many issues awaiting them as a board.

“I think it’s going to be a lot more work than they might initially think,” said Clerk Terri Kowal. “The supervisor knows what to expect and that it’s a full-time job, but I think the part-time trustees may be surprised to know how time-consuming it can be.”

Kowal, who was elected to her position 18 years ago, said incoming trustees, who often must balance full-time careers with their part-time service to the community, can often be surprised at the amount of time required of them, not only in attending meetings, but also in research, driving out to survey locations and dealing with the public.

“Every resident that comes to us, they believe their issue is the most important. And so we deal with it like it is,” Kowal said. “I was a trustee for six years and it’s a tough position to be in because you have to drive out to site visits, meet with residents. There’s just so many issues to deal with and not a whole lot of time.”

In addition to the regular procedural work required at each meeting, the incoming board faces several new challenges. First and foremost, given the state of the national economy, is the budget. The current board has held several work sessions to prepare the 2009 budget, which must be ratified by the board by the end of December, but the final responsibility in approving the budget will fall to the newly elected board. Each year, the budget approval project stands as a major task for the board, but this year is especially critical, as Shelby Township weathers a dismal national economy and predictions from financial forecasters in June that the general fund would face a deficit in the coming years.

“The issue is really the same as it was before the election: economy, economy, economy,” said Treasurer Paul Viar. “People are still losing their jobs and going into foreclosure, and we simply can’t solve this without addressing our decreasing revenue.”

Viar said he has stressed fiscal conservatism throughout his years on the board, and was one of the strongest voices in opposition to the construction of a new police and court building because of the cost. He said in the current economy, it’s essential that the incoming trustees be wise when approaching the budget and any monetary requests that come before them.

“I never would have expected the economy to bottom out like it did, but I always suggested we be tight with our spending, and people called me all sorts of names and a mean old man,” said Viar. “And I’m shocked we’re in the condition we’re in today, but I think that hopefully we’ll be able to rise above it and be wise with our spending. I think with this new board we’ll be able to work together on these issues.”

Kowal also said the budget would be a major responsibility immediately facing the board.

“Obviously cutting expenditures and balancing the budget are going to be big priorities,” she said. “It sounds easy to say, ŒWe’re going to balance the budget,’ but there’s a lot of work that goes into it.”

Kowal said the board is also going to face issues regarding appointments to certain positions. The position for director of human resources, vacated in 2005 after the firing of Michael Smith, has yet to be filled. Also, an open position still exists for the assessor’s office. Kowal said the board will have to deal with both issues, possibly shortly after taking office, although she also acknowledged that they are part of the normal responsibilities faced by each board.

“I’ve been in office for 18 years and the interesting thing is that really the issues never really change,” she said. “Every board that comes in, they need to balance the budget, they need to make these appointments. It’s a lot of work, but it’s part of what every board faces.”

The unique issue hanging in the air, however, is the future of new facilities for the Shelby Township Police Department and the 41-A District Court. Former Supervisor Ralph Maccarone had previously proposed constructing a new $20 million facility with money from the police and court funds; a key component of Stathakis’ campaign was his opposition to constructing a building that cost so much.

Still, members of the current board do not deny that a solution will need to be found for the Justice Center, possibly soon.

“I think it needs to be addressed right away,” said Trustee Lisa Manzella, who has served for four years on the board. “It’s still an unsafe situation and we really would benefit from having our own probation department. It would bring in an estimated $200,000 a year in revenue, but we just don’t have the room to have one out of the current building.”

Manzella was one of the proposed facility’s largest supporters and spearheaded much of the research behind the project. She said she does not plan on moving forward with the project again unless she is able to receive the support of the new board.

“This definitely needs to be addressed,” she said. “But I’m not going to bang my head against walls. If the new board doesn’t see it as a priority, I’m not going to push it.”

Kowal, however, said she agrees that the new board must work together for a solution on the Justice Center. She said she believes a new building must be built, but that a new method of paying for it must be agreed upon.

“Those buildings are still hanging out there and need to be dealt with,” she said. “I think we have to do something with this building and I was a very outspoken at the beginning that, with the court, we need to cooperate with the other communities to fund it together. The police have outgrown their building and the department can fund it, but with the court, I think we should look at partnering with our neighbors.”

Even Viar said he is aware of the need for a new facility, but said he is still opposed to any plans that would spend $20 million in taxpayer money.

“I believe what Mr. Stathakis said was that he would not approve a $20 million building without taking it to the taxpayers first. And that would be my position as well,” Viar said. “We have to set our priorities straight.”

Exactly what those priorities will be is expected to be the subject of the first joint meeting of the new board. On Nov. 25, the new board will host a work session where each member will bring a list of the needs of the township and how they believe they should be addressed.

“I think that, with this new board, we’ll definitely be able to sit down and sort out our priorities,” said Viar. “I really am excited and looking forward to serving with them.”