Posted By mindsinger on August 11, 2010
Indiana is considering doing away with the township trustees. When John first took the office of township trustee, that office was responsible for several duties. The trustees assessed personal property which determined the property taxes for the county. The State, in recent times put the County Assessor in charge of all assessments, although individual trustees were asked to help with that. He or she also managed the treasury of the township, giving annual donations to the fire departments in the township and surrounding communities, and contributing to the libraries.
By far the most important job of the township trustee is to be a buffer between the county welfare offices and those needing financial assistance. This is known as “poor relief” and a generous amount is included in the annual budget for that service. Jesus told us that the poor would always be among us. They are a part of our citizenry and members of our communities. Any one of several life changing events can put a person on the welfare rolls. But a person who seeks that help at the county level, even if approved, must wait several days or weeks for the first check to arrive. This is where the township trustee is most valuable. Food, gas, electricity and other necessities cannot be put on hold for an indeterminate length of time.
The trustee knows the people in his district. He knows when help will be most needed; school books, winter heating bills, end-of-the-month expenses that stretch beyond the monthly check. He knows those who try to take advantage of the office and those who are truly in need. He is there to answer questions, give advice on where help can be found and give personal reassurance to those who are most vulnerable.
If the office of trustee is eliminated the assessing will still be done, the contributions to fire departments, libraries, etc., will still be made through the county. But the poor just may be left out in the cold, literally. This is the service most needed and most to be missed if trustees are eliminated.
We may see in the future the Church once again become the benevolent institution it used to be. Already many churches maintain food pantries and thrift shops, and in larger towns and cities soup kitchens are an added service. But I see a time when each church will have among its committees one that takes the place of a trustee. Perhaps, a group of churches will form a co-op and become the center to which the poor can once again find temporary or ongoing assistance. Through the years we have given more and more responsibility to the state and assumed it would take our tax dollars and care for our neighbors.
Our county offices do their jobs well. But for those few people who fall through the cracks of the system, there needs to be a safety net. There needs to be a place where a man or woman can come and be welcomed as one of our own. As Jesus said to Andrew before a hungry crowd of 5,000, “YOU feed them.” We never know when we or our children may become one of the “5,000” Will there be a warm handshake, a smiling face and a hearty, “Come in! What can I do for you?”
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