Editorial: Assessor takes wrong approach to solving office dispute

Ever had disagreeable co-workers who make coming to the office a chore?

Or, have you been asked to help out with duties that are outside the scope of your normal job? For most of us, the answer to both questions is “yes.” And, while we might not like the circumstances, we do our best to be good employees, help out where we can in the office and get along.

But Antioch Township Assessor Heather Kufalk-Marotta has taken a different approach in dealing with workplace hassles — she moved into a new office.

Kufalk-Marotta left the township office building two months ago and relocated to space that costs $1,000 a month in rent plus utilities — a price that will grow by $50 per year during the four-year lease. That's in addition to about $12,000 she spent on the move and to renovate the office.

Who's footing the bill? If you guessed taxpayers, you're right.

Petulant and wasteful are some of the words that come to mind in describing the action of someone who was elected by voters and thinks it's acceptable to spend taxpayer money to rent a separate office as a way to solve some interoffice snit.

“I've heard a lot of taxpayer complaints about this,” township Trustee Peter Grant told our Lee Filas. “If she spent only $10 on this move, it's still a waste of taxpayer money.”

We wholeheartedly agree. We don't know the full nature of the problem that led to Kufalk-Marotta's move, but this can't be the best and only solution.

This isn't the first time the four-year-old dispute between Kufalk-Marotta and other township officials and employees, including Supervisor Steven Smouse, has cost taxpayers money. After Kufalk-Marotta ran unopposed and was reelected this spring, she spent $4,232 in public funds to purchase temporary divider walls to separate the office staffs. Shortly after they were delivered, the assessor's office moved, and the dividers were never used and cannot be returned because the packages were opened.

As for the office move, Kufalk-Marotta says it is paid for with money from the assessor's $324,000 annual budget and she didn't seek additional township funding. How prudent. Apparently, she doesn't understand the assessor's budget comes from property taxes and should be spent on costs associated with serving taxpayers.

She says the rented space provides easier access for senior citizens and allows for better interoffice communication. But the biggest benefit, she says, is her employees will no longer have to answer phones and help customers when township employees in the main office are out to lunch or out of the office.

We're sure that's not the attitude Antioch Township voters want from their elected officials.