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South Strabane Supervisors Blindly review Budget
By Judi Panasik
October 26, 2007
I question the math skills and financial expertise of the current South Strabane board of supervisors. We are all well aware of the questionable motives of many of the supervisors but there are at least two current issues that residents need to be aware of and fight.
On the agenda for the October 23 board meeting was a presentation by Central Tax. The same company that Trinity uses and residents have complained about. I have yet to hear one positive thing from taxpayers here or in other areas that use Central Tax. And from personal experience I question the safety of our private information in their hands. I have been to the offices myself and seen private information in the open. I have dealt with rude employees and been inconvenienced by the location of the office and times they are open. I have never heard a resident complain about South Strabanes tax office or its employees. But for some reason appointed, not elected, Supervisor Lou DePretis took it upon himself to approach Central Tax.
One has to ask why a man with only 3 meetings left on the board went out of his way to bring in this group.
The board claims it is to save money, but doesn’t seem concerned about what the residents want.
But even scarier than losing our tax office the township is planning on giving our Parks and Recreation Department what is equivalent to what the tax collecting employees in one office are making.
And if this board of genius wasn’t so focused on the parks maybe they would see and question the obvious issues surrounding their budget.
First of all last year Parks and Recreation had an excess of carry over around $12,000 but wanted to increase their budget to around $43-45,000. I believe they were given a budget of about $36,000. Now suddenly this year the budget is over $50,000.
One of the items I noticed that had gone up significantly was the one bus trip to New York City, how this is related to a park I don’t know. Last year the budget was enough to cover two buses. It’s off the top of my head but I believe the cost for one bus was under $900 but they had almost $2,000 in the budget. For 2008 they now want $3,600 for the New York Trip. Supervisor Bob Hollick questions the expense of 1 and 2 cent stamps but not this? They refuse to take more than one bus. So the entire township is putting out $3,600 so a small group can shop in New York City for one day?
The secretary’s salary is still $1,200 a year. They break it down this year to $100 a meeting. But there are only 11 meetings a year and most lasts less than a half an hour. Last year when I contacted townships they laughed at not only what we paid our secretary they also bulked at the idea of putting out $3,500 in advertising for Parks and Recreation. Even Peters Township wasn’t spending anything near that. And they use a township secretary that takes actual minutes not an outline of the meeting.
And what about $6,000 in lights for a parking lot at the new Community Park that is only open from dawn to dusk.
And there is the issue of mulch. It’s on the budget for $4,000, and is rumored to be supplied, by their chairman Mark Murphy. Is that a conflict of interest? Supervisor Ed Mazur has done some research and can get it for $1,600.
I mean come on!
Supervisor Tony Zelenka has even stated in public meetings that the parks are underused. So why then are you wasting taxpayer money on all of this? You are about to put people out of jobs but will spend what you pay two of them to entertain a few, without question.
It seems that the brilliant finance committee of Hollick and Lou DePretis see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear. I am really getting tired of pointing out the obvious.
But this is South Strabane where farmland is blighted and ball-fields are treated like sacred ground.
I suggest any residents that have had issues with Central Tax or know of anyone who has issues with Central Tax to send letters to South Strabane in care of Ed Mazur or Bob Koman who seem to be the only two that will listen on the subject. Or better yet come to the next meeting on November 13 and let them know how you feel.
Next week a more detailed account of the Supervisor Meeting and how one supervisor looked like he was about to have a melt down.
