CROYLE: Manor Township Saga Continues
Ladies are gossiping under the hair dryers at the beauty salon. The men are scratching their head and grunting between themselves. The blogs are aflame over Manor Township’s 2011 budget.
The disparity between salaries of the police officers and township road workers may have grandpa adjusting his bifocals to read our articles, but it is the taxpayers who really got hosed this year!
In 2009, the December meeting was filled with fire department volunteers upset because the supervisors were shearing $15,000 from their allotment of the taxes. Manor Township was $108,000 in a hole that had to be plugged, so they took it from everybody. Supervisors McGinnis and Jack plugged it by reaching in your pocket and taking another mill of taxes. (The late Lud Miller knew it needed to be done but voted against the budget – a good move by a great politician!)
Then comes 2010. The water company pays back a loan of $122,000 (more than the deficit that was considered the need for a millage increase). The new LST tax brought $35 a head from each person working in the township. The hole was not only plugged but the ship was back on course.
Now comes 2011. With health restored, it was time for supervisors to give the 1 mill back to the taxpayers! Nada! Instead, it was proverbial drinks for everyone around the table to the tune of .50 per hour… and a whopping $3,600 for Assistant Secretary/Supervisor Jill Davis. To make matters worse, Davis – while a replacement for Miller – did not have his political savvy to vote against it to position herself for her upcoming election bid in May. Instead, she voted with her colleagues, forgetting how it would look to the taxpayers.
Meanwhile, those taxpayers… some holding down two jobs to make ends meet… stood afar off in the distance and never saw the train coming down the track.
When the supervisors stood up to take their bow in their performance before the auditors, they forgot to thank the little people that made it all possible… the taxpayers. They had the ability to make a real difference in local politics… only to show us there is little difference between Washington, D.C. and Manor Township politicians.
That’s my opinion! Feel free to post your comments below:
CROYLE: I Just Have to Say It | David Croyle January 7, 2011
By newvoice, January 7, 2011 @ 8:55 AM
Ford City Councilman Ron Dillard tripled there tax and service increase.
By twpcitizen, January 7, 2011 @ 9:28 AM
You are absolutely correct Mr. Croyle. The taxpayers of Manor Township have a right to know how the supervisors have been spending there money. They need to be educated in how much tax payer money has been payed to these supervisors over the years. Maybe we need channel 4 to investigate. They should have been spending the money where it needed to be spent, police, roads, parks, community development instead of collecting there huge saleries. Not to mention complete, fully paid by tax payers, health insurance. TIME FOR CHANGE!!!
By watchdawgs, January 7, 2011 @ 10:09 AM
3600 dollar raise for a secretary that took 3 years to learn the job!! Come on!! I can’t believe she wants to run for reelection. She better start studying for it. After all it took 3 years to learn the job. Hope we can get candidates that that are not as greedy and better learners
By scot davis, January 7, 2011 @ 10:37 AM
why do you think we moved out of Manor?
By twpcitizen, January 7, 2011 @ 2:03 PM
The only money the township supervisors should be collecting is there monthly meeting attendence amount. These supervisors are making there living off of the Township. I thought if you wanted to be a supervisor it was because you wanted to help and improve your community. Keep on them Mr. Croyle!!!
By watchdawgs, January 7, 2011 @ 2:41 PM
Thank you for “letting that cat out of the bag” Mr.Croyle. God knows the leader times would not have the stones to do it.
By twpresident, January 7, 2011 @ 8:10 PM
why did the twp lend money to the water authority anyway? dont we have banks for that? and if the authority wasnt paying on the loan, was the twp letting them slide and if so, why? if they had $122,000 lying around, why wasnt it paid back sooner? just wondering????
By fruitfly, January 7, 2011 @ 10:29 PM
After reading this article I have to add my two cents. I can assure everyone that Jim McGInnis is a hard working man that does a excellent job. His experience with roads and leadership with the roadworkers is outstanding. McGinnis made some real dumb comments that I’m sure had lowered the moral of the police. But who hasn’t made a comment that they regret. However the wages are very unfair and a insult. Chief Karabin does a good job with what he has to work with. But 4 hour shift just don’t cut it anymore. At gas prices over 3 dollars a gallon,4 hour shift and a ridiculous wage how can he still put food on his table? Manor Township has some of the best officers in the county so lets treat them that way they deserve. They protect us from the criminal element and the road crew provide us safe roads. Both deserve a fair equal wage.
Howard Jack has drove Manor Township into a hole. The good old boys are not so good anymore Howdy. The years of them buffaloing the taxpayers are coming to a end. I’m glad your 5% secret is out and the other secrets are boiling to the top. I am upset to hear your not running for re-election so we could just do it the old fashion way, vote you out. I hope Supervisor Davis don’t end up like the person that trained her. To late she already voted for her own pay raise. Sounds like your training her good Howard
By watchdawgs, January 8, 2011 @ 9:14 PM
Yes 4 handicapped parking places. Supervisor Davis Parks in one everyday while at the million dollar building. Guess she is to lazy walk a little bit. Let’s see she gives her self a raise and parks in the handicapped spots!! Greedy and lazy sounds like a Manor township supervisor to me!!! She was trained by ultimate greedy man HOWARD the great. Remember all this in May supervisor Davis, we will. Thank you Mr.McGinnis for the bad comments that are helping your sidekicks tumble. Stay informed my friends !!!!!
By H C, January 9, 2011 @ 9:10 PM
I agree that our Manor Township Road Crews do a outstanding job. However, 911 does not send a road crew to a domestic disturbances, car crashes, suspicious persons complaints, bank robberies, burglaries,overdoses, neighbor disputes, runaway children, traffic control, back up for another department, assist fire department and ambulance crews. The Manor Township Police deserve better recognition as well as better pay for the services they render. They have extensive training in many areas and are expected to show good judgment in stress-filled situations. Did you ever try pulling over a car full of people in a dark, raining evening for a violation of the law? It is risky business indeed.
We as citizens need be grateful that our Manor Township Police Officers do the job they do for the pay they receive. If there is money to be spent in Manor Township, our police officers deserve the best raise we can afford to give them.