Makes clarification on job responsibilities of township employee

To the Editor,This is in response to the article written on May 18, 2015, regarding Raisin Township.My husband Rick Burgett is whom this article is partially about. I am writing this to clarify what my husband does for Raisin Township. I, personally, could not care less if my husband gets a raise or not, but I do know this. He has never missed a day of work. He puts in his full forty hours of work per week and is very dedicated to this township. Can the other employees and elected officials say they do this?Rick has $8,000 of his own tools and equipment at the township to accomplish jobs that need to be done because the township does not have the necessary equipment to complete his tasks listed in his job description. I asked Rick why he took his own equipment there and he stated, “I do it for the citizens of Raisin Township especially the children so that the park equipment and grounds are safe for them.” He is just finishing the playground equipment for the safety of the children such as the merry-go- round and swings. He welded them for extra support and had them powder coated related to the peeling paint on them.Rick is the person who came up with the idea to save taxpayer money by using LED lighting and motion detectors to decrease energy usage. He researched this idea for hours and tabulated cost savings and then presented it to the board. The board then spent money to have electricians come to the township and verify Rick’s findings. Rick also incorporated the cemeteries as part of his job saving taxpayers approximately $8,000 per year.The idea of independent contractors is ludicrous as they charge a lot more than $11.25 per hour for their services. In regards to Rick’s overtime, it is minimal. It is incurred on special projects such as rubbish day, baseball tournaments, and the parties scheduled at the pavilion. I know this because I see his paychecks. Also, I would like to point out to the citizens of Raisin that he does not take health insurance through Raisin thereby saving Raisin money because he has insurance through me.In addition, I would like the citizens of Raisin Township to know that Rick has many abilities that benefit Raisin Township. He welds, does small engine repair, performs plumbing tasks, performs electrical work, fixes the police cars, runs forklifts, runs backhoes, does cement mixing and pouring, sandblasting, snow plowing, and fixed the RCC foundation to name only a few of his abilities. He has saved the township thousands of dollars by being able to fix these things instead of hiring outside contractors.Rick goes above and beyond his job description without complaints of being overburdened. Rick stated to me, “I am not overburdened by my duties. I feel honored to have this job so I can better serve the citizens of Raisin Township. I love my job.”Julie BurgettRaisin Township

Tecumseh Herald

 

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