City Council puts pressure on township to help fund cemetery association

City OKs $15,000 ‘loan’ for financially strapped association

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff Writer

The City of Burlington Common Council is willing to help out the Burlington Cemetery Association – this time.

But if additional financial assistance doesn’t come from other sources, city officials would be very reluctant to simply hand over the money in the future.

The City Council approved a $15,000 loan to the cemetery association Tuesday night – money aldermen were told by City Attorney John Bjelajac they may not ever get returned.

But in discussing the loan, aldermen expressed frustration that the Town of Burlington – in which a portion of the cemetery land is located – refuses to help out the financially strapped association.

While the city’s loan received unanimous approval following a lengthy discussion, Alderman Bob Prailes summed it up bluntly.

“It’s time for the town to step up,” he said before the vote.

The cemetery association has fallen on difficult times because of lack of burials, and an embezzlement issue more than a decade ago that saw the association’s maintenance fund take a huge hit.

For the last six to eight months, the association has been lobbying the city and township for funds. The reason? If the association dissolves, care of the cemetery will fall to the two municipalities – though how long it will take is a matter of debate.

City officials are convinced they cannot step in until a year has passed, while the town could step in immediately. On Tuesday night, Bjelajac said the town might doubt its obligation to step in right away.

But in the midst of the city vs. town politics, Cemetery Association President Earl Vorpagel said simply, “We’re looking for something that will serve the community as a whole. We’re not interested in politics.”

The association has already taken a vote to dissolve, which would theoretically throw the cemetery to both the city and the town. However, the City Council made it clear it doesn’t want the responsibility.

“We’re not in the business of running the cemetery,” said Alderman Tom Vos, who chaired Tuesday’s meeting with Bob Miller out of town. Vos said he had spoken with Miller prior to the meeting.

“We’re not in that business,” Vos added. “They know how to do it. We’re willing to step up, but at this point in time, the township isn’t.”

The reluctance of the Town Board to provide funding drew some sharp commentary.

“It’s very troubling that the town isn’t stepping up,” said Alderman Tom Preusker.

Vos agreed, saying, “I’ve been here a thousand times,” and that the town hasn’t sat down and truly considered the ramifications of issue upon local residents.

“We’ve been willing to step up,” Vos said. “They haven’t been.

From strictly a business and humanitarian standpoint, Vorpagel said both entities would be better off if the association remained solvent.

“If we can get some breathing room, through the end of the year, so we could do our research … this quote unquote loan would give us some breathing room to put some mechanisms in place.”

Currently, there are discussions about privatizing the cemetery, and also about taxing the land, with the city as the collecting agency.