By Tom Gilchrist
For The Advertiser
DAYTON TWP. — Dayton Township Treasurer Eleanor Kilmer and Clerk Stacy Phillips aren’t buying Trustee James Satchel’s idea of holding office hours at the 138-year-old township hall along Hurds Corner Road.
“Why not give a thought of having business hours here?” Satchel asked the treasurer and clerk at the Jan. 13 township Board of Trustees meeting.
Kilmer and Phillips maintain offices in their homes in connection with their jobs as township elected officials, but Satchel maintains it would be more convenient for residents, and that the township would pay less mileage money to its officials, by setting up office hours at the hall.
“Wouldn’t it be feasible if we had business hours here, since we now have water, toilet, electricity and a parking lot?” Satchel asked.
The other four board members didn’t embrace the idea.
“Then you gotta have security, so then what are you gonna do?” Trustee Robert Steele asked Satchel.
“We would sit here from 9 to 5 and nobody would come, and as soon as we got home, they’d be here at 7 p.m.,” Kilmer said.
Phillips added that “there’s no Internet access, no phones, no nothing” at the township hall, built in 1876.
Satchel, however, said the township pays “quite a bit” in mileage expenses for travel by township officials including Kilmer, Phillips and Supervisor Robert Cook.
“All total, we (pay) about $500 worth of travel a month,” Satchel said.
“No, mine is for three months,” Kilmer replied.
“That ($500 cost) is for three months,” Cook added.
Phillips said she travels to and from the post office — a 12-mile round trip — eight times per month. Kilmer gets paid mileage money to drive to and from a Mayville bank.
“I go to the bank because I collect taxes every day of the week, practically,” Kilmer said.
“And you couldn’t (collect taxes) from here? You couldn’t have business hours here?” Satchel asked.
“No,” Kilmer answered. Kilmer said she has operated the township treasurer’s office from her home for the 33 years she has served as treasurer.
Cook said the money the township pays out in travel expenses “would be the same price for fuel oil and everything else to keep this place going” if leaders opened the township hall for regular hours.
Steele questioned mileage money paid to Satchel.
“James, you’re complaining about people’s mileage, but in the month of November … you turned in a bill for $85 to go to Frankenmuth and back,” Steele said.
Satchel confirmed that, but alleged Steele “turned in a bill for over 300 bucks yourself to go to Frankenmuth and other places.”
Steele denied submitting such a bill.
“I haven’t turned in anything. … Not in a long time,” Steele said.