Category: Delco Council

Elaine Shaeffer Can’t Blame Herself For Delco Fiscal Crisis — A massive — 23 percent estimate — tax hike looms for Delaware County, Pa. and Delco Council meets tonight, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m. when a hearing for the budget is scheduled.

At the Nov. 20 meeting, Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaeffer, a wealthy Main Line, Radnor lass, explained — see council comments — that the reason for this was that the previous — Republican — councils had not raised taxes for 12 consecutive years.

Um, that’s the not reason why Delco’s in debt, Elaine.

Delco is now spending $13 million more for incarcerating no-good-niks since it took over George W. Hill Prison from GEO Group in 2022. This is despite having 66 percent fewer no-good-niks incarcerated. By the way, the no-good-niks are treated far worse as are those tasked to watch them.

Delco is also now spending $19 million on the very unnecessary, by all reasonable metrics, health department it started. Hey, but it comes with neato electric vehicles and drug-vending machines.

The county has incurred $35 million in debt with the goal of no-longer using the Covanta trash-to-steam energy plant in Chester. The idea is to landfill the waste.

And let’s not forget that Delco has involved itself in expensive and unnecessary legal spending that competent leaders would have easily avoided.

Of course, if the goal is to shovel money to political pals it wouldn’t be incompetent. Evil, yes, but not incompetent.

It’s time for a change, Delco.

UPDATE: Kudos to Media GOP Chairman Michael Straw who was featured on Fox 29 giving it Delco’s councilmembers for their crude capriciousness and lack of caring.

Elaine Shaeffer Can’t Blame Herself For Delco Fiscal Crisis

Councilwoman Schaefer Promises Delco Tax Hike — Delaware County (Pa.) Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer  promised her constituents a tax hike, last night, Nov. 20.

“I think my colleagues and our staff . . . recognize there is a budget deficit and we share in that concern and we’ve been working very hard with laser focus on trying to address it and minimizing the amount of tax increase that we will be forced to put in to address it,” she said.

She was addressing a concern expressed by Media GOP Chairman Michael Straw.

Delco has a $54 million budget deficit due to idiocy leading to avoidable lawsuits and starting expensive projects that sound really neat but end up being money-pits whose only use is to create government jobs.

Expect that “minimizing” means really, really big tax hike.

DA Says Taxpayers Saving Money On Prison Despite 24% Budget Hike — Delaware County (Pa) District Attorney, last night, Oct. 16, boasted to County Council that George W. Hill Prison has a third of the inmates as it did before the Dems took over Delco’s government.

He said this is saving taxpayers money.

What are you smoking, Jack?

It can’t be legal.

The prison’s budget this year is $56 million which is $13 million more than in 2019.

How is that saving the taxpayers, Jack?

Kimberly Brown of Colwyn, a case worker at the facility, again took issue during public comments with how the jail was being run.

She said a misleading report is being spread regarding a report of a fire at Hill. She said an inmate pulled a fire alarm causing an incident. Ms. Brown said the staffing shortage is severe and there has been no fire drill since Laura Williams took over as warden on Jan. 31, 2022.

Ms. Brown said employees are quitting.

So Jack, with 66 percent fewer prisoners and a smaller staff why are the taxpayers paying 24 percent more for the facility, and how exactly do you think they are saving money?

Ms. Brown, frighteningly, said she has been under investigation since May by authorities at Hill for speaking out at council.

She’s not the only one saying she’s getting repercussions for daring to expose problems. See Sharon Devaney’s comments in this story and see what Janet Rousse (phonetic) says in the next one.

DA Says Taxpayers Saving Money On Prison Despite 24% Budget Hike

Delco Hires Extremist Democrat To Run PR — Adrienne Marofsky’s resignation as Delaware County’s (Pa.) public relations director was announced at last night’s, Sept. 18, council meeting along with the hiring of her replacement, Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy of Philadelphia.

Ms. Marofsky had held the post since 2018 and had a a reputation of fairness and non-partisan service.

Larry Ceisler, who heads the company, is a prominent partisan operative and noted activist for the extremist Democrat agenda.

Ms. Marofsky will head communicatins at Delaware County’s Intermediate Unit.

Taxpayers will give Ceisler’s company $10,000 per month for six months to spin things for Delco.

Delco Hires Extremist Democrat To Run PR

Delco Legal Spending Out of Control — Delaware County (Pa.) Council, last night, Sept. 4, was taken to task for profligerate spending in matters legal.

Cynthia Sabatoni (phonetic) of Upper Providence said spending on outside legal fees grew from $402,000 in 2019 to $4.5 million this year. Further she noted that the solictior’s budget of $3.9 million is more than twice what it was in 2020.

“The county is enhancing the hiring of lawyers in the region,” she said.

Prison Issues

Kimberly Brown of Colwyn took issue with praise Council bestowed on Laura Williams, who is warden of the county’s George HIll Prison. Ms. Brown, a caseworker at the facility, says it was undeserved.

She later took issue with how the prison’s non-security staff doesn’t get the same holidays as other employees. Ms. Brown says the policy makes little sense because case managers can only work when courts are in session and courts are closed on those holidays.

She ripped Councilman Kevin M. Madden, who is council’s liaison to the prison.

“Madden you praise the prison; praise and praise but you don’t do nothing,” she said.

She said the prison is hemmoraging workers.

Facebook Censoring

Kathy from Haverford said County Council is putting misinformation on its Facebook page and preventing citizens from correcting it.

She noted that the ERIC voter registration system, used by Delco, fails at keeping the rolls clean, and the county fights public record requests.

She, too, ripped Madden regarding prison issues, which in her case were a plethora of lawsuits.

Kathy also wished wished to know how much Madden’s firm has invested in the Bluecrest sorters used in Delco’s elections.

Oaths And Sheriffs

Carris Kocher of Glen Mills said that the only oath taken by election workers is to do what the Board of Elections tells them and not uphold the Constitution.

The wording must be returned to how it onece was, she says.

She also says Delco is using the radical Partners for Justice orgnization as part of its public defenders program, and that county sheriffs have lost their ability to make arrests.

Councilman Richard R. Womack questioned her regarding the claim and said he would look into it.

Bruce of Glen Mills, part of a contingent of Quakers in attendance, praised Council for how they handle elections and said his religion doesn’t use oaths but affirmations.

He said the public should refrain from abusive comments.

Election Machine Ransomware

Barb Lewis of Radnor noted that the FBI had issued a warning about ransomware attacks on election machines and that other agencies noted malicious code cold be installed on the machines.

She called for a return to handcounting and paper ballots.

Parking Lot

Michael Straw of Media said the new county parking lot on Orange Street is unused after work hours. He noted that it would provide an excellent revenue sharing opportunity with Media Borough.

Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer expressed agreement.

Citizens Find ‘Unlocatable’ Man In Eminent Domain Matter — Delaware County (Pa.) Council, last night, Sept. 4, unaimously passed the second reading of an ordinance expressing the intent to take via eminent domain a 200-square-foot parcel of land in Aston Township for the extension of the Chester Creek Trail.

The Council said the owner was unlocatable.

During public comment, Charlie Alexander of Marple said the owner was Robert Sutherland, 86, and that he found him on Facebook.

A woman said taxes are up-to-date and she couldn’t understand why Council couldn’t find him. She said the Aston Commissioners have been in contact with him.

Council responded by saying the ordinance was just part of the process and asked the citizens for the contact information.

It seems the process is predicated on laziness.

Citizens Find ‘Unlocatable’ Man In Eminent Domain Matter