Transparency and Accountability

Key Issues

Transparency and accountability by our elected officials has been lacking for a long time.  Transparency breeds  accountability and trust and helps prevent bad behavior.  “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”  Key issues include:

  • Lack of financial transparency

  • Financial account shell games

  • Resident’s reliance on FOIA requests to obtain even the most basic information

  • How to use $4.4M in federal funds from the CARES stimulus package

  • Water & Sewer Forensic Audit

Recommendations to improve transparency and accountability:

  • Participate in OpentheBooks.com for greater transparency and accountability.

  • Stop transferring money between accounts. For example, prohibit moving general fund money to departments that receive millage (i.e. Public Safety received $6.66M and Roads received nearly $2M in this year’s fiscal year budget)

  • Develop policy and processes to provide full transparency on budgeting, spending and reporting against specific accounts.

  • Track all donations to campaigns and report on every issue that donors presented to the Township in the previous four years and the outcome of those issues.

  • Provide full visibility to citizens on all expense payments by employee including names, locations, reasons and costs.

Bloomfield Township is receiving $4.4M in federal funds from the stimulus package.  Where is the opportunity for resident input on how this money should be spent?  

There has barely been a mention in Board meetings or in the e-newsletter about the funding.  There are restriction on where the money can be spend, but the Board must not be making the decision on spending in a vacuum.  Taxpayers must be part of the decision making process.  

Still no online checkbook or better disclosure on spending

Elected officials promised more transparency, yet in 5 months, the check book is still not online and payroll and vouchers continue to be paid without the billing detail needed to evaluate spending.  When will the township update technology so residents can more closely see how our taxes are being spent?  More empty promises.

Elected officials spin stories that showcase their truth,  but fail to tell residents the whole story

The list of half truths from elected officials has been going on for years.  It is only because of the research diligence of many committed residents that the other side of spending, operations and revenue are known. Residents need to fact check claims by elected officials as the truth is often under the shade. 

What have Township leaders done to address the future liability of car provided to departments heads?

The Munetrix dashboard is self-reported information; not always verified by an audit or third party

Elected official tout the Munetrix dashboard to support their claims of strong fiscal health, but the information is all self-reported by employees or from state reports.  The whopping pension and retiree healthcare numbers are hard to find and were masked by the absurd “pay as you go” thinking.