It looks to be a low-key day today, this being the beginning of a 3-day weekend. We don’t have any walk-throughs or special projects planned, just the usual drill schedule.
There’s an interesting development happening in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, just southeast of Pittsburgh. A new slate of elected officials took office last month and they are finding that the previous leaders have left quite a financial mess, bordering on the criminal.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the city’s bank account has $93,700 in the bank – total. That was before yesterday’s city payroll checks in the amount of $73,800 were paid out. On top of that, the city owes the sewage authority $197,000 in unpaid bills going back two years.
There are no records of where all the tax income has gone. One councilman is quoted as saying, “Don’t ask me where the money went.” (Councilman) Sprouts said some financial records are missing from city hall and suspects they may have been shredded and disposed of. (Mayor) Fike disputes that and said he believes the records are in storage.
“If they were stored, why haven’t we found them if they’re in city hall?” Sprouts said. “There’s not that many rooms.”
The new city clerk Kim Marshall said since she took over the post in January, she’s had a difficult time finding certain papers. “It’s just a matter of searching,” she said. “You’re on a hunt-and-find mission every time you need something. I just don’t know where to look for things.”
Of course, there’s more. But what caused this to land on the Firegeezer worktable was the initial “solution” expounded by one of the councilmen to completely eliminate the paid fire department of 13 members. (He also wants to eliminate the sanitation dept.) Fortunately the mayor says no such thing will ever happen. They’ll find savings elsewhere. After all, the FD finished the year $70,000 under budget.
Which brings us to what I’ve been harping on consistently, and that’s the importance of maintaing a constant and continuous direct connection with our citizens. Never stop reminding them that we’re here and what all it is that we do. And show them where their money is being spent. Trot out those new tools and trucks and show them off.
You can’t let up with it because every town, city and county has at least one yokel who thinks that everything will be better if we just stop paying so much for public safety.
Ok, let’s get the equipment checked. I’ll start the coffee.
Click HERE for Uniontown FD website
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