WHY I BELIEVE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
BY DAN BERTY, ROSS TOWNSHIP FINANCE DIRECTOR
“ The people, owing to the necessity of guarding against the Indians and wild animals, and to their desire to attend the same church, settled in small, compact communities, or townships, which they called towns. The town was a legal corporation, was the political unit, and was represented in the General Court. It was a democracy of the purest type …. The chief officers were the“ selectmen,” from three to nine in number, who should have the general management of the public business; the town clerk, treasurer, constables, assessors, and overseers of the poor. To this day the town government continues …”
- historian Henry William Elson, 1904 oss Township
ROSS TOWNSHIP NEWS
Dan Berty, Ross Township Finance Director
44 Ross Township
It’ s been four years since I’ ve started my career in Local Government. In my opinion, Local Government is the best and most efficient form of government in respect to serving their citizens. Communication lines are convenient and accessible: meetings are open to residents; the decision makers are available to the general taxpayer; Board members live in the community with their neighbors. Board members commit large amounts of their free time to making your community better, and changes made in Local Government happen in a reasonably timely manner. Once all the evidence is gathered and laws and codes are reviewed, a simple Board vote may be taken at the monthly meeting. This form of government allows the resident to be involved as much or as little as they desire in their community. In more cases than not, when a request for an improvement is reasonable and is agreed upon to improve the community, tangible changes are made.
Western Pennsylvania in particular is heavily staffed by longtime employees of the Baby-Boomers generation. As this generation begins to retire in the next 5 years, the leaders of Ross and surrounding communities will( or in some cases, already has) transition to leadership from a new generation: Generation X / Y & Millennials. While there will inevitably be a learning period due to losing experienced professionals, I envision technology and innovation leading the way as Local Government continues to evolve to find the best and most efficient way of serving the taxpayer.
As the Finance Director of Ross Township, I encourage you the resident to get involved in your community. In doing so, you’ ll see a direct improvement to your surroundings. Some example opportunities include volunteering your time towards a project in the Township, signing up for a Recreation program with your neighbors, taking a child to the Northland Public Library, and attending a Monday evening Public Board of Commissioners meeting.
“ Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Contact Info: Dberty @ Ross. Pa. us 412.931.7055