Special Ford City Council Meeting Reconvenes Tomorrow
Ford City Borough Manager Eden Ratliff and Council President Kathy Bartuccio listen to Council Vice-President Jerry Miklos during last night’s meeting. Miklos advocated for a community newsletter next year.
By Jonathan Weaver
Last night’s Ford City Borough Council special meeting was suspended after about an hour of discussion items for further discussion on the community’s proposed 2015 budget tomorrow night.
Borough Manager Eden Ratliff is finalizing details of the tentative budget with the Borough accountant today before preparing the document for possible advertisement later this week.
Council members generally discussed the borough finances during their public work session before the meeting. They are expected to have to vote on a 2.5 million General Fund funding plan similar to the one that was passed for 2014.
At the work session, Council Vice-President Jerry Miklos was concerned with how the municipality was going to pay for rising health insurance and pension concerns, as well as fund the borough police force, which the borough Police Committee recommended to be disbanded earlier this summer but is currently in litigation about after a grievance filed by full-time sergeants John Atherton and Mark Brice.
“We definitely have to cut somewhere,” Councilman Gene Banks said.
Banks recommended hiring a grant writer to pursue other funding sources for community programs. Ratliff is expected to receive some grant writing training as he undergoes free management training by the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Miklos said he would also like to fund Ratliff taking classes for grantwriting without stretching Ratliff too thin.
“We do have to make some investments to get a return – but in order to do that, it’s either going to fall on the backs of the taxpayers with increased taxes or we have to make some serious cuts somewhere,” Miklos said. “There’s only two ways to get ahead of the curve: increase revenue or decrease expenses.”
There was a police item on the agenda last night – purchasing a new $23,000 police car for Sgts. Atherton and Brice – but the item was tabled until the budget was available.
Miklos said with the addition of the new vehicle, one or two of the current cruisers would go out-of-service.
“We were hoping to have enough money at the end of this budget to buy the car in-full,” Miklos said.
A letter will also be sent to Governor-elect Tom Wolf, in-part asking for help funding money to invest in Pennsylvania State Police troopers’ police protection rather than the current local police force.
Something else that might have to be calculated into the General Fund cost includes the establishment of a borough community newsletter – which council members tentatively agreed to set up during the beginning of last night’s meeting.
Miklos spearheaded the project in the past and said that it would help get informative, factual information out to the taxpayers.
“This is not going to be a dissertation (but) just a brief synopsis of what’s going on in the Borough with facts and clear understanding of where their money’s going, what’s happening, Miklos said.
“I will take part of that responsibility if someone will share it with me,” Mikllos said.
Turns out both Councilman Banks and Councilwoman Schaub volunteered to help.
Miklos projected the newsletter to be available at local businesses and hotspots monthly, hopefully by the beginning of the year.
“We want the public to know everything,” Miklos said.
The five Borough Council members present – with Councilman Scott Gaiser absent – also voted to advertise for someone to construct a new Borough website.
“We are in the process of taking the current website down – we’re going to take that down and then we’re going to advertise to bring someone in and create a new website rather than refurbishing (the current one),” Ratliff said.
Former Website Administrator Ryan Bloser constructed the website before he graduated from high school in 2002 and said the website project would be a good project for a high school/collegiate team to work on, especially with all the updates that have occurred since his initial construction.
Ford City Borough paid roughly $135 per year for the web service, but the website has not been updated since August 2011 according to the current homepage.
Tomorrow’s meeting will begin at 4:30PM at the Ford City Borough office at the corner of 4th Avenue and 10th Street.
If the tentative budget is passed Wednesday, it will be available for public examination for 10 days. The proposed budget then has to be advertised before final adoption.
By jorn jensen, November 25, 2014 @ 9:29 AM
At what point of financial pain will these local councils realize that it is time to have public employees finance their own insurances and retirements?
Gene - Grants are taxes paid by taxpayers, which means that more have to pay to bail out Ford City. You need to cut spending and do as you said you were going to do when you came on council - bring work into town at the empty industrial buildings.
At least Ford City has a chance. Look at New Kensington/Arnold and see where you don’t want to go.
By fc2010, November 25, 2014 @ 9:51 AM
Glad that the police have received estimates for a new police car. As a taxpayer I am sick of seeing the money being placed on old cars that need band-aids. All that money from the past year should have been used for a new car long ago, but that’s why your expenses are up in the equipment segment. Be business minded.
By mad-2010, November 26, 2014 @ 8:55 AM
Grants are not always taxes paid by taxpayers as some people would like us to believe!
By mad-2010, November 26, 2014 @ 9:23 AM
Grants are funds dispersed which require no repayment. Grants money can come from private corporation, foundations, and trusts. So, getting grant money does not mean more will have to pay to bail out Ford City..
By Flamingo1, November 27, 2014 @ 11:33 AM
@Jorn
A police officer in Ford City makes 13 dollars an hour—-26,000 per year. Just where is an officer going to find 6k for health insurance and any money for retirement.
Pay people fair wages and give them benefits. It is about human dignity and valuing people. You just might have to raise taxes to do it.
By sbmworker, November 28, 2014 @ 6:31 AM
I agree with Jorn on the health insurance and retirements. As I stated on another post, my insurance went up $350 a month. I have to pay the difference if I want insurance and I got no raise. You have to make it work. Plus, I have no retirement. What makes this small town PD any more special? Health insurance is not getting any better thanks to Obamacare. There is nothing positive coming from it. It will be major increases yearly and not all employers or boroughs can afford it!
By jorn jensen, November 28, 2014 @ 2:00 PM
Typed like a true socialist Flamingo. People are paid what the market will bear. If it isn’t enough, seek other work.
Mad, by and large, grants are paid from collected taxes. The government doesn’t give anything it hasn’t already taken from someone else. You know that.
By sickofpayingforit, November 28, 2014 @ 8:54 PM
Flamingo-
Please post the successful company you own and operate so I can immediately apply there. Please. I would love to work for someone who can manage to employ all of those sentiments, and still remain in business.
By mad-2010, December 1, 2014 @ 5:12 AM
JJ.. Without knowing what Grants are being applied for you can not make the statement you made in your earlier post! You Know That!
Also, Grant money from corporations, foundations and trusts have noting to do with the government or peoples taxes, You know that!
By mad-2010, December 1, 2014 @ 9:07 AM
sbmworker.. If ACA is so bad why don’t the GOP majority Congress get off their butts and come up with a plan to make healthcare (ACA) better for the U.S. citizens?
By jorn jensen, December 1, 2014 @ 9:30 AM
sickofpayingforit - Flamingo was a ‘man of the cloth’ and, therefore, somewhat protected from the realities of the private sector.
By blutoblutarsky, December 1, 2014 @ 12:26 PM
A close friend of mine was offered health insurance through is private employer for >$1200 per month for a family. They went on the exchange and received better coverage for a little under $500. In this case it helped them tremendously. They do not receive welfare and work hard to make a living. It’s crazy that people have a problem with this.
Jorn- I agree on the retirement issue. The healthcare, not so much considering they have an option outside of their workplace. The salary, no way.
By paying salaries that low you’ll get what you pay for and attract officers that can’t hack it elsewhere. If you’re cutting the police force you’d better have some good ones on hand.
By Flamingo1, December 1, 2014 @ 1:38 PM
Jorn
Many companies, thousands in fact and other employers pay benefits. Think Costco or Starbucks. They end up with less turnover and higher productivity. You sound like a Dickens novel. Time to read the Christmas Carol again.
Sick
The list of companies and organizations that pay for health insurance and retirement benefits is very long. I work for one.
By mad-2010, December 2, 2014 @ 8:45 AM
Bluto.. I agree about the officers pay, it would also be better if they could keep more than three, at some point an officer my need some backup…
By jorn jensen, December 2, 2014 @ 9:01 AM
Mad - You’re in a dream world on grants. You know that.
By blutoblutarsky, December 3, 2014 @ 9:40 AM
Wow… no response from Jorn on my ACA comment. I guess there isn’t much to say if it’s helping people.
By mad-2010, December 3, 2014 @ 9:40 AM
JJ.. Where is your proof? Mostly talk as usual, JJ. Again, You can not make that statement without knowing what Grants are applied for. Are you telling me a corporation or foundation can’t grant Ford City money?