VOICE OF THE TOWNSHIP
When my staff and I attend community events, we often ask persons we meet what they would like to know about the Wayne Township Trustee’s Office. One question mentioned frequently is, “What is the primary function of our office?”
We are so close to what we do every day that we sometimes don’t realize that some residents of Wayne Township are confused about the primary function of the Trustee’s Office. Some of the confusion may be a result of misleading information currently being circulated by those seeking to eliminate Township Government.
But other Wayne Township residents may not have ever visited our office nor had the need to use the Trustee’s services. And, as a result, these residents don’t know what we do at the Wayne Township Trustee’s Office.
When Trustee’s Offices were established in the 1800s, they had various duties that were needed back then. Those duties have evolved over the years to meet the needs of our current society.
This evolution was made possible by Statutes, much like our State and Federal Constitutions, which allow Trustee’s the flexibility to refocus their priorities. The current Statutes also allow for differences among Townships within the state.
As a large urban Township, the primary function of the Wayne Township Trustee’s Office is to provide temporary financial assistance to those in need. A client must be below the federal poverty guidelines to qualify for Township assistance. If a client meets this definition, we also are required to look at the way a client has spent his or her money.
Our clients are expected to use the money they have to pay for their basic necessities first. Those would include housing, utilities, food and medicine. We do not help clients who have spent their money on non-essentials and then come into the Trustee’s office seeking our assistance.
When a client is determined to be eligible for Township Assistance, we only can pay for basic necessities for the client, again housing, utilities, food and medicine. We have limitations on how much we can pay toward these bills. And, we send the assistance money to the vendor, such as the utility company or landlord, rather than giving money directly to clients.
The standards for determining eligibility for receiving Township Assistance are contained in a booklet, which is over 20 pages long and available for review at our office. The Standards are revised each year.
Wayne Township also provides support services to help clients regain their financial independence. These include our Employment Training Center, which has a successful job placement program.
In future columns, I plan to address other questions I am asked frequently by Wayne Township residents.
Before I close, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed attending the Taste of Waynedale at Kingston Residence. This is a wonderful new addition to the many events that take place in Waynedale.
And, I would like to wish all residents of Waynedale a very happy and blessed Easter.
Richard A. Stevenson, Sr.
Wayne Township Trustee
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