Topeka Town News
As winter approaches, the town
streets are a focus to be kept clear of
ice and snow. Topeka has been using
“beet juice” and now later Clearlane an
enhanced de-icer to help keep streets
free from ice build-up. The US/EPA
recently designated Clearlane as more
environmentally friendly to effectively fight icy roadway. While it has
no melting properties itself, it works
in conjunction with brines to lower
freezing temperatures. Advantages
for this application are less scatter,
fewer applications, continued melting
at lower temperatures, non-leaching,
better for the environment. The trend
of environmentally-friendly products
costing more is no different than other
environmental products. Cost vs long
term benefits balance out. More towns
across Indiana are moving to widespread use of these products this year.
Across Indiana, a number of local
governments will be changing personnel January 1, 2012.
Questions often asked, “Why can’t
government operate more like a business?” When talking about the overall
mission of government, could municipal government be responsive to their
constituents if their focus was shifted
to revenue generation and profit
margins? Taxpayers tend to want it all
from their government. And as local
government we’ve accepted that expectation and sought willing to deliver. If
municipal government became all-consumed with making money could some
of these expectations be met.
If municipal government was operating as a business it would mean that
Commissions or Councils would be able
to operate without the delay built into
the public notification process. Notification to taxpayers and record retention are important for the taxpayer as
it exists. If municipal government were
truly run like a business, disclosing
private documents or plans would not
be required and create layers of cost
Celebrating
our 5th Year Anniversary
Wednesday, January 4 • Open 7am to 7pm
Offering Free Drinks
& Sugar Cookies
Emma Cafè & Catering, Inc.
593-9025
5990 W 200 S • Topeka, IN 46571 • Collen Hostetler & Molly Michael
by Dewayne Bontrager
and time that would not be acceptable
to the business investors. If municipal
government were run like a business,
would the interest groups dedicated to
reducing the regulations and “red tape”
for business clash with the groups who
have fought for greater accountability
and integrity in government? Would
disclosures, such as when a government official may derive benefit from a
public contract be required anymore?
Contractors might be the first to
decry a move to a traditional business
model for municipal government. It
seems such a move could mean that
not all contractors would have an equal
chance to bid on a public project and
that minority or locally owned business wouldn’t be offered any special
consideration either. The demands
of the public on its local government
are far greater than those listed here.
Can municipal government continue
to seek more efficient ways of doing
business? Of course. Should we stop?
Absolutely not. But it’s simply not
compatible with our business model to
expect city or town government to operate as a private sector business. If so,
wouldn’t the business tycoons of the
world be making their millions running as many of America’s municipalities that they could get their hands on?
I share a final quote from Teddy
Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who
counts, not the man who points out
how the strong man stumbled or where
the doer of deeds could have done
better. The credit belongs to the man
who is actually in the arena, whose
face is marred by dust and sweat and
blood; who strives valiantly; who errs
and comes up short again and again;
who knows the great enthusiasms, the
great devotions; who spends himself in
a worthy cause. Who, at best knows in
the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, at least
fails while daring greatly, so that his
place shall never be with those timid
souls who know neither victory nor
defeat.”
The Hometown Treasure · Jan. ‘12 · pg 21