February 15, 2009
Hannon and Montgomery Demand quick vote on "unanticipated" $190,000 Expense.
Walt Baker, Town of Sardinia Highway Superintendent may be right when he says that his department needs a new truck at a value of $190,000. He also says that they need other capital items, but the hasty request comes at an unusual time.
When asked why he had not anticipated this expense in his annual budget passed by the Town Board at its regular January Board meeting, Baker said "I wasn't that involved in the budget process, someone else handled it."
Baker who has spoken about his health issues during the past several months may have been out of the loop, but it seems odd that such an important capital item would be overlooked until mid-February. Baker also stated that if the money was authorized now it would probably be July before the right vehicle could be purchased.
Both Dave Montgomery and Mary Hannon, new councilmembers, told the Town Board at the regular February Board meeting that they had been to the Highway garage and that indeed a new truck is needed. They called for an immediate vote authorizing the expenditure shortly after Baker announced the need. Supervisor Balus, and Councilmembers Heather Phelps and Norm Uhteg objected to an immediate authorization vote for the $190,000, and stated that this was all new information and that such a large expenditure needed more evaluation including, at the very least, competitive bids.
After a brief and heated discussion the business was tabled, and Baker was asked to bring back more details as soon as he could.
We at the Standard cannot help but wonder if this business is somehow related to the Fireman's Awards Package and the Sardinia Republican Committee's opposition to it. Is it possible that Hannon and Montgomery want to play fiscal games with Town funding and for instance articulate what they consider an immediate need spend this huge sum on the Highway Department? Is it possible that they would use this expenditure as an argument against The Fire Company Award Package? They did not at this meeting, but some in the audience, known to be allied with Republican Chair Mike Hannon were overheard to make comparisons and suggestions that the Town cannot afford Fireman Awards when there is such a pressing need for the Highway Department. These are sad questions to ask but given the subterfuge and political quackery that this Republican Committee consistently engages in, they become necessary questions. We will see soon what kind of "final days before the referendum campaign" is engaged in against the Firemans Awards Program. Hopefully Mike Hannon and his partisan attack machine will stand down and stand up to recognition that the Fireman Awards Program will greatly benefit all residents of Sardinia. But-beware of anonymous letters in your mailbox, or scare tactics including buffoonery by the usual players in the Herald and the Journal this week.
The bottom line is that if a new plow is needed for the Highway Department, one needs to be obtained and the Town has to find a way to ante up for legitimate expenses. The Town needs to operate in an open and accountable manner, Mr. Baker, Mrs. Hannon, Mr. Montgomery and among other things this means a process that includes anticipated budgets, timely evaluation of needs, open presentations and discussion, and competitive bids for new equipment. Perhaps it is also time that the Town of Sardinia conduct an audit of the Highway Department. This has never been done. Now that the Town has conducted a badly needed audit of the Waste Management contract with the Town, (to be released at the regular march Town Board meeting), lets keep this openness and accountability ball rolling. Lets get an audit of the Highway Department underway so that we can best understand the nearly half a million dollar annual budget of the Highway Department, run by Sardinia's highest paid regular employee (Highway Supervisor Baker at $45,066 plus benefits, in 2009.)
That would certainly be a legitimate investment in open government and the kind of accountable fiscal practices that seems to be called for by all parties in this rancid political climate.
