Guest Editorial

By Raymond Wojtowicz

Wayne County Treasurer

7/30/08

     The need for honest, hard-working, and compassionate individuals to serve as our elected officials has never been greater.  More than ever before, local leadership must be efficient and visionary in order to make government work for the people.  For these reasons and more, I am seeking re-election as your Wayne County Treasurer.

     As lifelong residents of Hamtramck, my wife Delphine and I see firsthand the toll the economy and the decline of the auto industry are taking on families and communities.  As your Wayne County Treasurer, my staff and I have worked tirelessly to assist county residents in paying their fair share of taxes and maintaining their homes.  We have made changes to the Treasurer’s Office to make it as efficient and customer-friendly as possible.  We have worked with various other units of government to ensure that funds were available to provide services for our citizens.  We are doing our jobs.

     As the August 5, 2008 primary election swiftly approaches, some of my political opponents are attempting to create a whirlwind of misinformation in a desperate attempt to distort my 30-year record of service as your Wayne County Treasurer.  Fortunately, the truth is readily available and my opponents' untruths are easily exposed.  Here are the facts:

·        We established the Taxpayer Assistance Department, which specializes in offering assistance to those taxpayers most at risk.

• The Taxpayer Assistance Department has helped more than 10,000 people this year.

• More than 2,000 hardship applications were approved, allowing struggling Wayne County residents to stay in their homes.

• The Communications/Community Outreach Department has conducted numerous community workshops on how to avoid property tax foreclosure for the past two years.

• My office has repeatedly extended the deadline for repayment of delinquent property taxes.  No other county in the State of Michigan does this.

• My office has created partnerships with more than 20 community non-profit organizations as part of our outreach efforts to educate residents about how to avoid property tax foreclosure and also to instruct them about the wide variety of community resources available for those in need of assistance.

• Citizens can make payments online at www.treasurer.waynecounty.com.

• My office has disbursed more than $300 million to the City of Detroit, the Detroit Public School District, and the Detroit Public Library for their operating budgets, courtesy of the Delinquent Tax Revolving Fund.

• My office has disbursed $84 million to the Wayne County’s General Fund (courtesy of the DTRF) for use in preserving jobs and services. More than $255 million has been disbursed to this fund since the program’s inception.

     I simply ask that voters consider these facts when they cast their votes for Wayne County Treasurer.  The record speaks for itself.  Those who seek to distort the truth for political gain, especially during tough economic times, are not worthy of public office.

     I am very proud of my 30 years of service as your Wayne County Treasurer.  But important work remains to be done.  I ask for your vote.