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