How did the County end up with more money. The audit cites several reasons.
First and foremost, Brown balanced the budget on the backs of the County workers. He allowed vacancies to increase, this reducing the need to pay out salaries and fringes.
Second, he cancelled a planned addition to the 911 center, which would have cost $3.6 million.
Third, he pulled in revenue from other counties to house children in the County's juvenile detention center.
The report also notes that table games revenue has increased $1 million. I have drawn attention to this table game revenue several times. While there are strict controls in place for the spending of slots revenue, Council has placed no controls on the Executive's ability to dip into that fund for anything that he deems to be in the County's interest. In effect, it is a slush fund. To his credit, Brown has this far avoided the temptation to spend this money to improve his re-election chances. But no one person should have that much control over so much money.
23 comments:
Great job brownie. Suck it up and welcome to the real world crybaby Union pukes. REELECT BROWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anon 7:12 cut back on those morning expressos dude!
Second, he cancelled a planned addition to the 911 center, which would have cost $3.6 million.
Now he continues to balance the budget by failing to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Bob Mateff. What the Executive fails to realize is that decision puts the entire county in jeopardy should we have a God created or man-made disaster. Is it worth the $100,000+ in wages and benefits?
In lean times an expansion project like the 911 center would have been tabled regardless of who the CE was. Perhaps Brown is conducting a national search for Mateffs replacement and that takes time.
I'm sure it will take time to find someone who follows his pricnciples of good government - inaccessibility, nontransparency, consultants and ignoring the people under him.
So true, Bernie. Brown may have to interview 20-30 highly-qualified candidates who have integrity before he finds someone who will sink to his low standards of public governance for the job. Someone who will cut staff until 911 calls go unanswered. Who will sell off their assets to free money up to justify obscene raises to Brown's minions. Bob is a tough act to follow, so why bother? Just hire another know-nothing Brown-noser for the position, which by the way is NOT exempt.
He has taken all of his cronies from Bangor already. Nobody left who will kiss his ring and bow down in his presence. What to do?
"All of his cronies from Bangor"
That amounts to about 4 people. The rest have nothing but disdain for this corrupt loser.
A. Slater
I count 4 also. LOL!
Brown surrounded himself with his Slate Belt "posse", ridin' high on the range. But his administration has turned out to be "The Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight." And Brownie himself is impersonating Don Knotts in "The Shakiest Gun in the West." He needs to ride off into the sunset before the townsfolk run him out on a rail.
He also swiped $2.7m of property tax revenue collected for Open Space from the taxpayers of Northampton County - accounting for over 20% of the surplus over Hunter's estimate.
He was elected to contain costs. He has done that but he did not say HOW he was going to do it! Now we know.
a modern day robin hood. steal from the poor to give to the rich.
"He also swiped $2.7m of property tax revenue collected for Open Space from the taxpayers of Northampton County"
Once again there is NO dedicated open space tax in Northampton County! All the revenue goes into the general fund. No tax revenue is collected for open space.
why john why?
He inherited the multi-million dollar mess of an unneeded Human Services building John Stoffa leased. The guy has to find savings somewhere. Smart people warned you all that you won't have a big new building and jobs. Instead you listened to O'Hare.
Back to the Human Services Building. Who needed it? Who wanted it? Workers could have worked from home with small shared office space. Half the spaces are empty since we don't hire workers any longer. It seems that all politicians are stupid.
You are off topic.
"Once again there is NO dedicated open space tax in Northampton County! All the revenue goes into the general fund. No tax revenue is collected for open space."
Once again, our real estate taxes were raised in 2008 specifically to fund open space. Brown used the excuse to rape those funds this past year by stating "It is time to take a break from funding open space."
Why would he make up that bullshit excuse if according to you, it isn't funded in the first place? If it isn't funded, where exactly is the $1m that is currently MANDATED to be spent on municipal parks supposed to come from?
You sound like Brown's lackey Campos - who made similarly ignorant statements such as the open space program has run its course.
The DHS building was the best thing that happened in the county the past ten years. There are still some DHS malcontents who wish they were back in the two filthy frat houses called Bechtel and Wolf. There, they could be the slobs they want to be, living with the dirt and vermin that called those archaic structures their home. Good riddance for those two mausoleums and thank God for a decent, modern building in Bethlehem Twp. that is more convenient for clients, safer for both clients and staff, and provides the employees with a decent work environment. The OTHER John, the good John should be thanked for that.
Anon 10:24, Thank you good John.
If it isn't funded, where exactly is the $1m that is currently MANDATED to be spent on municipal parks supposed to come from?
The municipal park funding is mandated by a separate ordinance. The money comes from the general fund. Mr. Brown and the current council are otherwise not required to otherwise fund a non-mandated program from the Stoffa administration and a previous council.
Not ony is he balancing the budget on them he's screwing all of the career service employees by not giving raises while Union pukes are getting them. What a joke ! And you wonder why so many people jump to the Unions.
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