Day: July 5, 2024

Delco Fire Training Project Tabled — County GOP Finance Director Dave Galluch of Newtown defended a proposed interior fire training building before Delaware County (Pa) Council, July 3.

The structure at the training center 1600 Calcon Hook Road in Sharon Hill was expected to be passed as a consent item but removed after objections from Councilwoman Christine A. Reuther.

The 23-acre site is owned by the county but leased to the Delaware County Board of Fire and Life Safety.

The building would cost $5.5 million with $2.05 million coming from the state and the rest evenly divided between the county and the tenant.

It was a rare instance of Ms. Reuther objecting to spending. Was the project too macho?

Christine Reuther And Speech

Ms. Reuther made herself a target of citizens ire when she objected to Charles Alexander of Marple facing the audience during the first round of public comments.

“Can I raise a point of order, just about public comment” she said. “. . . Is public comment really meant to be comment to council . . . or is it sort of, you know, open mic night at our local bar?”

John DeMassy (phonetic) of Drexel Hill spanked her a few speakers later when he pointed out that Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Law obligates Council to allow speakers to comment to Council and/or the people, and face whatever why the speaker wishes.

Michael Straw of Media also ripped Ms. Reuther. He defended the First Amendment and blasted her for objecting to speech. He also noted that Council has blocked comments on its Facebook page ostensibly to stop “misinformation.”

The only antidote for lies is truth. “Misinformation” doesn’t disappear because it isn’t posted on a particular forum. It just hides in the woodwork like termite causing destruction in secret. When the “misinformation” is seen, though, perhaps on an official site, it can be countered and defeated.

Wonder why Council doesn’t get that.

Of course calling truth “misinformation” is worst kind of misinformation. Maybe that’s what they fear.

Ms. Reuther was later taken to task by a Springfield woman for being “smug”. She also bizarrely said illegals bathing in Darby Creek were not a county concern but a local matter. We could almost swear she was laughing when she this.

Other Matters

Kimberly Brown of Colwyn demanded an audit of George W. Hill Correctional Facility where she works. She said pay discrepancies are demoralizing the staff. Competency and effort are not rewarded, she said.

Executive Director Barbara O’Malley said bridge work on New Road in Aston and Manchester Road in Middletown will be completed by year’s end.

Delco Council Slammed For Fiscal Irresponsibility — Delaware County (Pa) Council, July 3, again faced accusations of fiscal irresponsibility.

Moody’s has lowered the county’s bond rating due to its deficit spending and property owners can expect a tax hike of between 19 and 30 percent next year.

Charles Alexander of Marple brought up the numerous — and unnecessary — lawsuits in which the county has found itself and accused them of allowing this situation just to throw funnel money to Ballard Spahr.

Ballard Spahr is the Philadelphia law firm chaired by Mark Stewart who is the husband of Delco’s congresswoman, Mary Gay Scanlon (D-5).

Alexander said the suits are sapping the county dry.

Michael Straw of Media asked why Council is approving a $79,100 contract with Bonnie Hartley of InSync Services for leadership training when those tapped for it should have already had the skills when hired. He also wanted to know why the county is paying for yoga classes for its Health Department, which, by the way, has a $19 million budget and didn’t exist five years ago.

Kathy from Haverford said the county sheriff never shows up for work. She wanted to know why his salary is almost six-figures.

John DeMassy (phonetic) of Drexel Hill gave a bleak assessment of Council’s competence in money management.

“The more you pile on debt, the worse it’s going to get,” he said. “Raising taxes isnt’ going to fix the credit rating.”

The only solution is to control spending, he said.

Delco Council Slammed For Fiscal Irresponsibility

Right-To-Know Contract Draws Concern In Delco — Charles and Howard Alexander of Marple, Kathy from Haverford, Michael Straw from Media and John DeMassy (phonetic) of Drexel Hill expressed concerns to Delaware County Council, July 3, regarding a proposal to outside firm to hire right-to-know requests.

DeMassy pointed out that the $72,000 they propose giving Keystone Municipal Solutions comes out to about $130 per hour whereas a county employee doing similar work would cost $30 per hour.

He also expressed concern that plan is to hide information rather than provide it.

Solicitor Jonathan Lichtenstein would later point out that it is a temporary contract for a temporary situation caused by the retirement of former right-to-know officer Anne Coogan. He said the county is in the process of hiring an in-house person for about $30 per hour. Right-to-know requests are now in Lichtenstein’s lap and he says he’s swamped considering his other duties.

Right-To-Know Contract Draws Concern In Delco

Blame Delco Council For Election Suspicion — Delaware County Council got tough love, July 3, when it was pointed out that election suspicions routinely aired that trigger them so profoundly are entirely their fault.

Right to know requests for election documents are almost automatically rejected by the county, even after rulings by the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records that the documents are public.

There is only one logical explanation for this behavior and when one figures it out, it makes one sick.

Also Delco continues to deny poll watchers the same access at its central ballot counting as a other precincts. The different standard was due to Covid as revealed at a recent Montgomery County Commissioner meeting.

Montco is about to end the restrictions. Delco seems to want to make them permanent.

Why? Again, the one logical explanation makes one sick when one figures it out.

On Wednesday, Scott Thomas of Broomall refuted objections raised by Councilwoman Christine A. Reuther at an earlier meetingregarding the feasibility of counting ballots by hand. Laura Lewis of Radnor again raised concerns about voting machines.

Carris Kocher of Concord objected to the opening of additional voting centers and accused the Board of Elections of giving Election Director James Allen to make decisions unsupervised.

She also said the county does not require election workers to take an oath to follow the Constitution.