Richfield Today
Supports "for a country way of life"                   
On any given day this site receives more than 150 hits
  • Welcome
  • About Us
    • Quote of the Day
  • RT Blog
  • Governments
  • Contact Us
  • Links
  • Events Calendar

What has Reid Snedaker ever done for Richfield except cause trouble

3/14/2014

0 Comments

 
The following article is from the Daily News.  Richfield Today sees this bogus complaint as a desperate attempt by political activists hoping to tarnish the excellent reputation of an out standing citizen of Richfield. Dan Neu has served the citizens of Richfield in many ways over 30 years. What one good thing has Reid Snedaker done for any Richfield citizen? What community service organization is he a member? This accusation should anger most Richfield residents and get them out in droves to vote Dan Neu back into office. 

Complaint filed against Richfield trustee
Alleges Neu has conflict of interest with Fire Department

By SARAH MANN   Daily News 

Reid Snedaker says he has lodged a formal complaint with Washington County District Attorney Mark Bensen’s office Wednesday alleging the Richfield Trustee Dan Neu has violated Wisconsin law because he has a conflict of interest between the Village Board and the Richfield Fire Department.

The Daily News received word of Snedaker’s complaint after the District Attorney’s office had closed Thursday and was unable to verify that Bensen had received the letter.

Richfield officials said they had not heard of the complaint Thursday afternoon.

In his complaint, Snedaker requests that Bensen “take immediate enforcement action” against Neu, including requiring that Neu resign from the Village Board, that Bensen impose the maximum fines allowed for violating the law and open a criminal investigation to determine how much taxpayer money Neu receives as a result of his votes on the Village Board.

Snedaker did not return several calls for comment Thursday evening, but his complaint centers around Neu’s paid position as president of the Richfield Fire Department, which he has held since 2010. Because funding for the Fire Department is included in the village’s annual budget, and Neu votes to approve the overall village budget as part of his duties as a trustee, Snedaker says Neu has a conflict of interest.

“By consistently voting to adopt the Richfield 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 annual budgets, Mr. Neu, as a village trustee, has both used his public position and took official action to allocate a total of ($1.7 million) in Village of Richfield taxpayer funds to the Richfield Volunteer Fire Company,” Snedaker alleges. The figure comes from adding the allocations to the Fire Department, amounts in the $435,000$453,000 range, from all four budgets. 

Snedaker cited several Wisconsin statutes in his complaints, including Sec. 19.59(1)(a) stating that “No local public official may use his or her public position or office to obtain financial gain or anything of substantial value for the private benefit of himself” and that public officials may not “Take any official action substantially affecting a matter in which the official ... or an organization with which the official is associated has a substantial financial interest.” 

Neu said he could understand there might be a conflict of interest if he were voting on the Fire Department’s contract with the Village Board, but “When it comes time to vote on the contract, I’ve always recused myself,” he said. “As far as I’ve always been advised (by village administrators), there hasn’t been an issue with voting on the budget.” 

Neu said he makes $2,500 per year for his position as president of the Fire Department. That does not include money made from responding to emergency calls; responders are paid $12.50 per response, he said. 

As president, it is Neu’s job to prepare budget documents for the Fire Department. 

“When it comes time for budgeting, I have an 11-man board. They’re the ones that come with their wish-list, and then we have to vote,” Neu said. “There’s 11 people that vote on that budget. ... Then the village can go over it and see if it’s OK or not.” 

While they were creating the 2014 budget, village trustees had to debate the amount of funds to be allocated to the Fire Department at a board meeting on Nov. 21. Neu recused himself while the remaining trustees denied a $4,000 addition the Fire Department had requested in its budget. Neu re-entered the room after their decision was made and voted with the other trustees to approve the entirety of Richfield’s $2.4 million dollar budget. 

Neu is running for re-election April 1 alongside incumbent Bill Collins. They are challenged by Gil Frank and former County Board supervisor Bill Meyers. Reid Snedaker ran for village board president in the 2013 spring elections as a write-in candidate and lost to incumbent John Jeffords. 
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    About

    RT Blog will let you know the latest happenings around Richfield.

    Archives

    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    2014 Election
    2015 Election
    2016 Election
    2017 Election
    2018 Election
    2019 Election
    Business News
    Government Topics
    Just News
    Local Events
    Political Posts

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from xbouwman, Pink Sherbet Photography, rumimume, VLMPO, roberthuffstutter, andreavallejos, steakpinball