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CITY BEAT
BY George Murin
December 21, 2007
Washington- City council probably held its last meeting of 2007, December 13th. During the long public participation, City Treasurer and Mayor Elect Sonny Spossey spoke on tax collections for 2007. Many of the taxes collected were over or near the budgeted amounts for the year. He then spoke of the debt service for 2007. He listed the pension debt for the city as 11% of the budget or $1,131,896. (I find this interesting since the bond issue of 1997 was for $258,000 a year, and since then the city has contributed NOTHING to the pension funds until this year. It used the state aid money to pay off the bond. If the city would have stuck in the $300,000 plus each year that it received in state aid and the ½% of taxes collected, as required in third class city code, the million dollar figure would probably be next to nothing. Blaming it on the employees seems to be the city answer to all its problems, not the mismanagement of the city fathers.) He listed the total debt service at $2.5 million a year or 24% of the total city budget. Sonny and the other newly elected council members have a tough job ahead trying to straighten out the mess the previous council made.
More projects are coming out to try to take advantage of the gambling money available. Three more were presented: A building at the corner of Locust Ave. and Leonard Ave.; the Watermark Gallery project for the downtown; and Auld project for upscale apartments above the state store on Main and Maiden Streets, the sight of the old Auld Hotel.
The discussion on VisionQuest’s school for troubled teenage girls followed. Those who spoke out asked city council to appeal a judges order that allowed it to be opened on a technicality. This was when the city failed to notify VisionQuest in writing, within 30 days, that their request to open was denied. VisionQuest was at the meeting. First Linda Wade, who has been in the front of this issue, stated her case that VisionQuest has never had state or local approval to operate a facility in this city. She handed out a copy of a letter from the PA Department of Education to State Senator Barry Stout, that stated VisionQuest did not seek state approval and “it is not a Department-approved alternative education program.” Others followed with problems and concerns over the facility. A statement about VisionQuest made by Phyllis Waller, summed up how most of the residents around feel, “How can this 48 bed facility be an asset to our community?” Council did vote to challenge the judges ruling. This has been going on far too long. Questions have to be asked on why a simple matter of notification in a timely manner was not done? The city solicitor could have had his secretary type it up on the same day it was denied, a five minute job. Why did the city drag its feet and allow the facility to remain open for months and months? The city could have been fighting this matter a little harder and closed the facility months ago. I don’t know what is happening behind the scenes; maybe it is just that the wheels of government move slowly or just doesn’t care.
During the meeting there were two motions concerning the Arts and Heritage festival. The City Controller is investigating the festival and has frozen its accounts. The festival is being transferred from the City to the Washington Chamber of Commerce and the motion was for the Chamber to administer paying and depositing all receipts. It passed 5-0 with Councilwoman Virginia Ullom, Councilman Allan Bunner and Controller Adams raising some concerns. The second motion dealing with paying the 2007 vendors was tabled. All were reportedly paid.
Towards the end of the meeting a controversial issue of contracting Sam Stockton as director of parking and grant writer for the city was brought up. Stockton is the present city manager and would probably be let go by the new administration after January 7th. This motion pays him $40,000 for 2008. It passed 3-2 with Bunner and Ullom objecting because they haven’t seen a written agreement. They questioned, how long is the contract for, what is in it and what will be his duties? A nice Christmas gift for Sam.
The last item was the resignation of Jeff Watson as City Solicitor. He has been solicitor for many years and he knew he would be gone after the first of the year. So instead of being fired he did the honorable thing. Good luck Jeff.
