Two of three township council members take insurance offer

Based on information provided to me by Wantage Township Administrator/Clerk James Doherty, I had given out information showing that the proposed 2010 benefits for the three part-time members of the Wantage Township Committee were going to cost us Wantage taxpayers a total of $73,392 on top of their $3,000 each yearly salaries. In the March 18, 2010 edition of the Advertiser-News North, Committeeman Bill Gaechter was quoted, stating: “I own a business; I buy my own insurance, and these fees are out of sight.” At the Township Committee Meeting on Thursday, March 25, I questioned Committeeman Bill Gaechter concerning this apparent discrepancy; Bill replied that he is paying for his own benefits. Based on this it is obvious that us Wantage Township taxpayers owe Committeeman Bill Gaechter a $27,560 thank you. That converts into a $6.09 tax savings for the owner of an average residential property (2010: $322,500.41) in Wantage. The owner of an average residential property in Wantage Township, you will be happy to know that he/she is still being forced to pay $10.13 towards the extravagant benefit packages, $22,916 each, enjoyed by Mayor Clara Nuss and Deputy Mayor Bill DeBoer even though both of them own and operate their own businesses. Their combined Township salaries equal $6,000; their personal salaries? It should give the Wantage Taxpayers a good feeling to know that $45,832 of our Wantage Township municipal property tax dollars are being used to indirectly subsidize ERA Best Choice Realtors and DeBoers Auto Sales, both of which are located in Hamburg. William H. Gettler Wantage Township