Published Wednesday, December 18, 2002
fiscal recovery plan
Herald Staff Writer
More than 100 Greenville residents gathered Tuesday night to hear opinions and concerns from borough residents, employees and officials about the state's Act 47 recovery plan. Act 47 is Pennsylvania program for financially distressed communities.
The borough faces a debt of $1.2 million, a hole the borough created by misspent bond money and financial mismanagement. Greenville applied for distressed status in February, the 18th municipality to do so.
The public hearing, held in the high school auditorium, was a chance for residents and employees to offer testimony about the plan.
"This meeting is not to discuss, argue or defend the issues of the plan," said Joseph M. Hohman, president and chief executive officer of Resource Development and Management Inc., the Pittsburgh company that is developing the plan for Greenville's financial recovery.
The testimony will be taken into consideration before a final draft of the plan is written, he said.
Representatives of the fire, police and public works departments and members of borough council spoke for about two hours after a 30-minute review of the plan. A few residents also shared their comments.
Firefighters distributed a packet presenting their case against reducing the number of professionals to a mostly volunteer staff. Dale L. Hightree, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1976, addressed several of the recommendations concerning the paid fire department.
"We are not attorneys. We are not bean counters. We are not mechanics," Hightree said, referring to recommendations would require firefighters to help the code enforcement department and to repair fire equipment. Firefighters already perform basic maintenance on their equipment and also help code enforcement officers, Hightree said.
Any reduction in the number on the force could also be dangerous, Fire Chief Steven Thompson said. A volunteer force has a longer response time, he said.
Thompson pointed out the actual cost of personnel is not overwhelming for taxpayers. According to Thompson's calculations, having professional firefighters on duty round the clock costs each resident $51 each year.
"How much do you pay for your cable bill per month?" Thompson asked.
Acting Police Chief Sgt. Tom Strahler expressed concern with the state's recommended 49 shift-per-week cap on the department. "This cap must be set at 50 shifts per week," he said.
The department has 11 full-timers who work a total of 55 shifts a week, he said, and five of those are paid for by the school district for the patrolman on duty there.
Sgt. Richard Brown offered an opinion on the state's recommendation that the department employ more part-timers: "Most cops don't want this as a part-time job. It is not a job you can go to school for six to eight weeks for ... It takes time to learn the job and time to learn the community."
Councilwoman Pamela Auchter reminded residents that the plan is a working document. She said council is examining the issues that were raised "very seriously."
"Some of the decisions have already been implemented," she said. "But some parts of this will be hard to take. It is very hard to make decisions where it affects everyone in town."
Part of the plan centers on raising the earned income tax from 1 percent to 1.7 percent for residents, and from 1.1 percent to 1.5 percent for nonresidents, coupled with cost-cutting.
Gary Beatty, a Hempfield Township resident who owns 28 rental units in the borough, supported the income tax increase. "We'll get those renters to pay their fair share," he said.
"From a fiscal standpoint the borough is in bankruptcy ... Our job is to project how to get out of that," Hohman said.
The plan contains both short- and long-term goals and recommendations, not all of which were popular with residents.
"It is very difficult when you administer pain," Hohman said.
All of the borough council members except Richard Houpt, who is ill, were present along with Mayor Clifford Harriger. Borough Manager Kenneth S. Weaver was absent.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch at ateutsch@sharonherald.com