To attract wide range of people, township should offer
benefits
By Tom Alvaré, Guest Columnist, Intelligencer, The Soapbox, March 11, 2008
As a newly elected township supervisor in Plumstead, who has been on the job for less than 75 days, I was surprised
to see my picture on the March 3 front page of The Intelligencer in an article concerning health care benefits for municipal
officials across Bucks County. While it soon became obvious that I was the target of a political attack by my fellow supervisor, Vince Formica,
I welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter with my neighbors in Plumstead. I was happy to begin the discussion
the following evening at our supervisors' meeting in a forum of open government.
My view on the issue is clear: I think that to attract as wide a range of people as possible to public service, it
is a good idea for townships to offer modest, reasonable benefits to township supervisors to help offset the time and costs
associated with their government work.
I strongly believe that township government — and all government, for that matter — should reflect the
people that it serves. I agree with Supervisor Housley Carr's view that Plumstead's board should have “homemakers, retirees,
farmers and plumbers” who reflect a cross section of our community and not just the independently wealthy or those with
jobs that already provide health care benefits.
A good supervisor will invest countless hours in performing his or her public duties. I've quickly learned that
preparing for and attending three to five meetings a month, attending educational seminars, communication with township officials,
discussions with constituents, representing the township at public events, etc., requires a time commitment of 30 hours or
more a month.
When I was running for office last year, I hadn't even been aware that health benefits were offered. When I learned
that they were, that they had been for years without complaint and that many supervisors had accepted benefits over the years,
I decided that it made sense for me, as a small-businessman, to accept them. I now work for the people of Plumstead, and I
am grateful they offer this benefit to their employees. I know that for my colleague Frank Froio, it was very helpful to have
that option when he lost his job and his benefits.
Mr. Formica has made a big point of saying he has been against health benefits for supervisors since he joined Plumstead's
board in January 2004, but that he “didn't have the votes” to get a change approved. The problem is, he never
once in those past four years made a motion to eliminate health benefits for supervisors.
Supervisors Froio and Stacey Mulholland, who voted to support him on the issue, have been on the board for at least
as long as Mr. Formica, and they, too, never moved to change supervisors' benefits.
Politics aside, the way I see it, what taxpayers and voters want most are to have level-headed, reasonable and straightforward
people running their government. They want government officials to do the people's business and not spend their time making
personal attacks.
Plumstead residents have said that they have had enough of the sniping and the distraction. They want it stopped. They
also have made it clear that last year's campaign is long over and that Plumstead's board needs to work together so that we
members can do our job.
I welcome this debate on health care in Plumstead and on the state and national levels. In this general election
year, it is sure to be a major topic. Hopefully, positive change will be the result. The positive twist here in
Plumstead is that health care is a discussion that is now occurring or is no longer a discussion occurring behind closed doors.
The people need to have a say in this matter and need to let their public officials know how they feel about it on the local,
state and national levels.
Tom Alvaré was elected to the Plumstead Township Board of Supervisors in November 2007.
Article's URL:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/319-03112008-1501491.html
