RIDGWAY — By an unofficial final vote tally of 648 to 436, Ridgway Township voters have rejected a referendum to add two supervisors to the township and to increase the township’s board of supervisors from three members to five members.
Earlier in the year, the supervisors approved a resolution to allow voters to determine how many supervisors should serve the township.
Supervisors Chris Klase and Rick Glover voted in favor of adopting the resolution, while Milly Bowers opposed the motion.
Klase said that he supported the motion as it would allow for the board to have more opinions on township issues.
Further, Klase said that having a five-person board is helpful in situations where township employees are elected to serve on the board.
The second township code allows for township employees to serve as supervisors. Klase said that he believes a five-member board could help to balance the opinions of employees with those of non-employees.
Prior to Klase’s appointment to the board of supervisors, two of the three supervisors were employees of the township.
Bowers was the township’s secretary and John Gardner served as the township’s roadmaster and supervisor.
Now, no township employees are supervisors.
Gardner resigned as township supervisor at the end of 2015 after he was found to be padding the timesheets of his wife, then a subordinate on the township’s road crew.
Bowers retired at the beginning of 2016.
Some of those that supported keeping the board at three members were concerned over the added expenses that the township would incur with two additional supervisors.
Each supervisor is paid $100 a month, which means that two more supervisors would add $2,400 in expenses for the township for wages.
Additional expenses could have been realized for things such as conferences.
Township resident Merv Kemmer was active in opposing a five-member board as he purchased multiply signs and placed them throughout Ridgway and Johnsonburg.
Even if the township will not be increasing the size of its board of supervisors, township residents will have the opportunity to make significant changes in 2017 as elections will be held for Glover’s seat and Klase’s seat.
Elk County’s results will not be deemed official until Wednesday.
