VOICE OF THE TOWNSHIP: PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

In this electronic age, I often have been frustrated when I need to straighten out a problem involving a business or governmental agency. I’m sure you have experienced this too. You call and after pressing several numbers, a computer person tells you, “Your call will be answered in the order it was received.” You wait and wait until you finally hang up.

Or, when you call a business or agency, the computer person answering your call advises you to log on to the organization’s website and e-mail your question. The computer person promises that all e-mails will be answered within 24 hours. Yet, a week later, there you are still waiting for that response to your e-mail. My personal favorite is an agency of the State of Indiana whose computer person tells you there are too many calls waiting and hangs up on you.

This lack of good service is all too common these days both in the public and private sector. Yet, I continue to be surprised by this type of treatment, especially from a governmental agency. Government, more than any other organization, should be responsive to the public. After all, it is you, the taxpayer, who pays the bills to support the agency and for whom all government employees work.

This is why I believe so strongly in providing excellent, professional service to everyone who contacts or has business with the Wayne Township Trustee’s Office. This is why I regularly stress to my staff the importance of good service to the public. And, this personal service is one more reason the Indiana General Assembly should not eliminate Township Government.

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If you call my office, your call will be answered by a real person, not a computer. We receive hundreds of calls a day at the Trustee’s Office, and you might have to be placed on hold for a few minutes. But, we will make every effort to answer your call quickly and route it to someone who can address your concerns. You also can contact us through our website www.waynetownship.org.

If you need Township Assistance, you will be asked to come into our office and you will meet personally with one of our investigators. The investigator will listen to you, assess your needs and make a decision regarding assistance based on our Eligibility Standards. If you are not eligible for Township Assistance, the investigator might refer you to our Resource Specialist, who will meet personally with you and work with you to find other programs to help with your needs.

Our Township Board meetings are open to the public, and we always take public comments at the close of the meetings. The meetings are the second Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at our office, 320 East Superior Street. I make myself available as often as I can to take phone calls from Wayne Township residents and make sure their questions are addressed.

I also take time almost every morning to greet the persons who are in our lobby. If clients have questions for me or want to speak to me personally about their situation, I am happy to listen. My staff and I attend meetings and events in our Township where you can talk to us about your questions and concerns.

I pride myself in the personal service we provide at the Wayne Township Trustee’s Office. We want to do the job the taxpayers have hired us to do, that is respond to the needs of our constituents and make Wayne Township an even better place to live. As I am writing this, I am pleased to report that General Assembly has not taken any action to change or eliminate Township Government, and the session is nearing its end. I want to thank everyone who has supported our office and helped us provide the best possible service for our constituents.

Richard A. Stevenson, Sr.
Wayne Township Trustee
www.waynetownship.org