One of the "benefits" of being elected to any type of public service office is becoming a punching bag and excuse for everything that happens. In the coming weeks, perhaps months there are going to be many accusations and complaints about all the stuff that Piper guy did to increase rates, raise taxes, spend recklessly, ruin the standard of living, and the list may go on. I have already received an e-mail from a fellow council person who is blaming the Sewer Committee for the budget problem. So, it is important that you are aware of some facts before all of the "facts" as perceived from other members start coming out in discussions trying to pin all the problems on the new guy on the block.
1. Delmont Council took out a tax anticipation loan at least one year before I was even a member. What this means is the Borough did not have enough money to end the year without borrowing. According to some other municipal officials I have met in my trainings this is a bad thing because it means the budget was done incorrectly and the government is spending more money than it is bringing in.
2. Our current budget was prepared before I took office. I had absolutely no input, which is ok because quit frankly I don't have enough experience, or education on preparing a budget. As part of my promise to you I have signed up for a budgeting course, but it isn't offered until September 7,2016. This is before next year's budget is due, but that is not helpful to me at this point. I do have another class this Saturday which is part of Newly Elected Borough Officials Boot camp which will give me some information on Borough finances. I received some information on where to get the best prices for needed equipment and supplies in the Public Works Management class I took on March 10th. I will receive some more information on May 25&26 when I attend Your Role as Municipal Secretary Administrator class.I may even gain some budgeting insights at the conference I am attending June 5-8. In the matter of full disclosure there is an opportunity for the newly elected officials to open up the budget for the year that they did not help plan. There are two reasons that I did not attempt this process. 1) I have admitted to you my current ignorance on budgeting so I felt that I could add nothing to what the previous Council put together. 2) I would have had to have the support of the rest of the council, at least the majority, to make it happen and that wouldn't have happened. If you look at the meeting notes from January when the budget was voted on you will find I abstained from voting. I was not going to support something to which I had no input, nor was I going to vote against the efforts of my colleagues.
3. Delmont purchased and upgraded the Pump-Station to the tune of $1 Million before I was on Council. Was this in the best interest of our Borough? I am not going to attempt to second guess this decision. My only criticism of it is there should have been a Master Plan for our community that listed this possibility and included a capital expenditure item line to better plan this massive, for our small town, financial endeavor.
4. The Delmont Sewage system is over 20 years old. There are no capital improvement plans in a Master Plan that took into account the increasing maintenance costs over the years it has been in service. Delmont's Capital Improvement Budget only has two line items; 1) Boiler and 2) Wheeled vehicles. I do not think this is efficient and a Master Plan for our community would not have allowed this inefficiency to go unchecked.
5. When I took office two payments were due on pump station. One for $87,327.00, and the final one for $21,578.00. The Council voted to take out another $50,000 Tax Anticipation Loan and even borrowed $34,000.00 from the Shield's farm account and was even considering another $50,000 Tax antipation loan. Did I like voting in favor of these options. No, but I felt I had no choice. It would look really dumb of me not to support methods to pay for items directly related to my responsibilities.
This is the most relevant facts that I can think of for background information. I have decided to break up the information. I don't want the posts to become so long that the reader doesn't take the time to finish it. More tomorrow.
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