Effectiveness: Budget & Strategic Spending

Cascade Township's budget needs to cover many needs, from employee salaries, to public safety and fire department services, to the maintenance of our roads, parks and trials. After the 2020 election, the Township board committed approximately $50,000 in legal fees, including a forensic audit of Township election results after allegations of "fraud" that were proven false. 

More context:

• Excerpt from the 2022 financial audit: "The Legal Fees Line-Item was increased by $50,000 to reflect higher than usual usage to Township Legal counsel due to significant tax tribunal cases, the Forensic Audit that was ordered by the Township Board and led by the Township legal team and a general increased reliance on Township legal counsel."
• Gerrid Uzarski, Kent County Elections Director, attended Township Board meetings as the representative of Kent County Clerk Lisa Lyons. Mr. Uzarski reassured the Board that every effort had been made at the County level to ensure a valid election, and said that his office is now devoting a great deal of time to debunking allegations that have been proven false. Residents can find letters from Kent County Elections leaders to the Township Board on the Cascade Township website, Government>Agendas/Meeting Packets>Township Board>1/13/2021 Packet; the letter is on pages 27-29.
• Combining my priorities of Transparency and Smart Spending, it's important to note that Mr. Uzarski stayed for the open comments portion of the meeting and answered questions about Kent County’s election audit from two residents. Over 18 minutes of the meeting were spent on the election fraud issue, yet Mr. Uzarski is barely mentioned in the minutes and the issue is not mentioned in the highlights of the meeting. No actions by the Board were taken or statements made about this issue.