Misunderstanding at Milton town meeting

Apathy wins again. At the April 10 Milton Township annual meeting, less than 300 people made a decision for over 118,600 residents. The questions to be voted on, by voice vote only, were “Should township government be eliminated”, and “Should the township budget be reduced by 20 percent.” The voice vote was overwhelmingly in favor of not putting these on the ballot in November.

So the decision was made by less than 300 people. I wasn’t surprised. The turnout at the polls is also a small percentage of the population, historically less than 20 percent. The politicians depend on that. It is what makes our “democratic” political system not so democratic.

At the township meeting, I don’t believe the majority of the people attending were aware of the real intent.

The item to reduce the township budget by 20 percent was intended to cause the township board to take a long hard look at the spending as related to the entire township and not just the unincorporated areas. The second, on dissolving township government, I believe, was also misunderstood. First, putting this on the ballot would in no way have eliminated the township. I got the feeling the majority of people there were under that impression that it would. Only the state legislature can eliminate township government.

If placed on the ballot, it would only have accomplished one of two things. 1. If voted down, it would be a vote of confidence to the township board that they were doing things right and the voters wanted to keep them, or; 2. It would have given the board cause to take a long hard look at how they were doing things.

Township government was never any danger.

Russ Nelson

Glen Ellyn