Santa Claus is actually a jolly old fellow named Eddie Nelson. He's worked as a clerk at a beer distributor and as a crossing guard. But his meal ticket is his gig as Santa Claus every Winter. He has claimed it's very lucrative.
Nelson was set to make his annual pilgrimage to Florida's mall when Upper Mount Bethel's Manager, Rick Fisher, suddenly resigned. Rick, who has considerable experience in municipal government, was pulling down $72k. The Manager who preceded Rick, Bob Cartright, also had lots of municipal experience and worked as both Manager and Zoning Officer for a pittance of $65k until he became ill.
When Rick resigned, there were several applicants for the job. They include former NorCo Executive John Brown, who was also Bangor's Mayor. As an elected official, he had his shortcomings. But as a Manager, he might have been a good thing.
Another applicant was Rich Young, who ran both Allentown and Northampton County's Department of Public Works. Under him, the trains always ran on time.
A third applicant was from out-of-state and inexperienced, but had all kinds of degrees in Public Administration.
And then there was Santa.
No one will deny he's a jolly old fellow, but he knows nothing about municipal government. He was the least qualified candidate. But for some inexplicable reason, that's who three Supervisors - John Bermingham, David Due and Robert Teel - decided to hire. At that bizarre Friday night meeting in November, Santa and Mrs. Claus were in the audience. Nelson knew he was getting the job. In fact, he had already canceled his lucrative Santa contract.
Bermingham took care to schedule this Special Meeting on a night he knew that Supervisor Martin Pinter, who opposed Nelson, was unavailable. Supervisor Craig DeFranco, who also opposed Nelson, was excluded from a round robin in which the remaining three chose Nelson in apparent violation of the state Sunshine Act. Of course, they ratified their decision in an open meeting so it would be pointless to challenge it.
During his interview, Santa said he wanted $95k, far more than his predecessors. But he said he needed no health benefits because he has Medicare.
When he was hired, it was at a salary of $85k. Apparently, the three amigos talked him down from his original demand.
Not long after this hire, DeFranco began noticing checks made out to Nelson for about $2,000. He would learn that, in addition to his $85k salary, he is getting around $2k per month in cash to make up for what a health package would cost. So Santa is actually making over $100k per year.
The first thing he did as Manager? Take courses? Call previous Managers?
Nah, he went on sick leave.
Incidentally, Supervisors also gave a secretary a $20k raise.
As you might have guessed, Upper Mount Bethel has been deficit spending for years. Its cash surplus at the end of 2019 was just $144k. It should be repaving ten percent of its roads every year, but is unable to afford more than four.
It's going broke.
In the meantime, there's a group of citizens who want to "Keep Upper Mount Bethel Rural." In addition to opposing any form of economic development, they also oppose a much needed sewer line along a portion of Rte 611. Never mind that homeowners there would no longer have to worry about a well located just five away from the septic tank, or that they would have their septic tanks in their basement.
They like drinking shit-flavored water. It shows in their selection of Township Manager.
Ho. Ho. Ho.
47 comments:
Or lack of attention to its infrastructure... I left that phrase out.
I still say there must be something in the water over there in the eastern half of the County. You guys are whacked.
85k plus 24k = 109,000.00 for a know nothing inexperienced buffoon.
Didn’t Hanover Township Northampton County hire a manager with no experience at a high salary over much more qualified candidates by his friends on council? Oh never mind, you all are buddies so that corruption is justified.
What do the minutes say? So they hire a crossing guard for 85 thousand and sneak another 24 thousand in the back door and now want to raise taxes 23% for a traffic light? David Due the siding roofing guy must be just stupid along with the pied Piper charlatin John Bermingham pulled this bullshit. I guess it is true Ed Nelson had to lick Bob Teel's toliet seat for the job. The taxpayers are getting fleeced. Back room deals AGAIN. That is what you get when you put dunce like like Nelson with NO accounting or financial experience government experience. For 109 thousand you can get someone with a degree beyond mall santa on his resume. HoHoHo UMBT
Let’s all just say it - Too many politicians are snakes!
It's like watching a train crash in slow motion. Voters richly earn the government they elect. UMBT deserves every bad thing that's coming its way. They're justifying an enormous tax increase my saying a proposed warehouse development that may employ 1,500 is too far down the road. What they're really saying is they'll fight that type of development to their last shit-smelling breath and they don't ever expect tax relief from economic development. Again, the majority of voters asked for this. They should shut up, pay the higher bills they requested at the polls, and smile as they pass their breath mints around.
John Bermingham should go back to New Jersey where he came from. The man is a fraud fake and phony. The pied Piper .... Such a scum bag christian. The Judas of the people. The Tuscorora snake. 666
This is a confusing post.
You seem to be blaming a tax hike on the new Township Manager, despite the fact that:
1) He was only hired in November
2) His salary isn't that far above what the previous managers' salaries were, and likely in line with what would have had to have been paid to attract one of the other candidates you mention
3) He likely had little to no input into the 2019 budget because of the late hire date
4) The Township "has been deficit spending for years"
5) As another commenter pointed out, the supervisors are the ones who have to vote on a budget and tax hike
So I'm guessing that the real beef is with a majority of the Supervisors, and THEIR decisions (beyond the hiring of "Santa Claus" as manager) that lead to the tax hike.
Also, you mention that the previous township manager worked for a pittance until he became ill. Is he also out on sick leave? Does the Township have insurance to cover the cost of a temporary replacement for key employees? If not, maybe they should.
What I am saying is that a township idiotic enough to hire an unqualified manager for too much money is a Township that does not know how to be fiscallynprudent
Maybe this year the REAL Santa.. not the mall santa/school crossing guard can deliver COMMON SENSE to this bunch of losers who are running our Township. Who? with any kind of sane mind would not hire someone with a BS degree AT LEAST in accounting or finance or public administration for 109K? How does one Supervisor happen to come across two thousand dollar monthly checks that were not approved when this incompetent man was hired? What did the secretary do for a 20 thousand dollar raise? Are you serious? a raise of half a salary? Granted santa was hired in November but why is the budget being voted on now so late this year if your saying he had nothing to do with it?
1) Hired in November and never did a fiscal budget other then his scout money- The Township is a multi million dollar budget see the website
2) His salary is 25K over the last Manager who had a lifetime working in government areas.
3) The Township has ALWAYS HAD A BALANCED BUDGET- DEFICIT SPENDING LIAR? WHO ARE YOU KIDDING OR TRYING TO BS?
4) He did the budget for 2020 which is now being voted on- again another lie.
5) It is beyond me of the back room deals.... hired at 85K and you get 24K secret money ILLEGALLY! A secretary gets a 20 thousand dollar raise? Who gets a 20 thousand dollar raise?
6) Secret meeting with a developer to sell the Township taxpayers down the drain with a sewer system that benefits our own elected Supervisors starting with BOB TEEL. They are secretly meeting with shady characters behind the scenes to benefit their own pockets on the backs or our seniors and working families.
7) The Chairman John Bermingham sells himself as the voice of the people. A snake oil salesman sums him up. He is also heavily involved in this. Remember what they are talking about is in KOZ zone which means NO taxes for 10 years meanwhhile the Township is fixing the roads and maintaining them with heavy truck traffic and dealing with the influx. Teel is looking out for his multiple properties on 611 to get sewer. Dave Due- a short bus to school rider, does not have a clue other hen try to impress everyone but shows how far below the intelligence chart he is.
8) We need to stand up against this bunch. Spend a half million on a traffic light on an insection with two state highways- dumb....
Stay tuned because shifty Bermingham and shady Teel and clueless Due are running you right out of your home and when done we will not be the great rural Township we once were.
Tell us how many Township residents make 109K a year let alone on our money?
What is his political affiliation? Has he voted recently?
Rick knew when to get out of Dodge. This township has been run poorly for many years and now the chickens come home to roost. Plenty of blame and years on end of no tax hikes has brought them to this final point and no police coverage either. The roads are what they are supposed to be taking care of and now even that priority is fading. This is what you get from R control of the budget. The rick saved their bucks that should have buoyed the township above insolvency. You get what you don't pay for. And Rick is happy in his new job in Maine. Ed is a fool and a bs artist to boot.
"Didn’t Hanover Township Northampton County hire a manager with no experience at a high salary "
No. HTNC hired a financially adept individual who turned the Township around. UMBT hired a Santa Claus with no education, no experience and no innate ability. This Twp also gave a secretary a $20k raise. At least three Supervisors appear to be financially irresponsible.
Be careful what developers say about jobs in spec buildings. They promised all kinds of good jobs in Wind Gap and Bushkill Twp. See what ended up there.
Only in UMBT- You can't make this stuff up! UMBT is the only place in the world where the old adage, "you get what you pay for" doesn't apply. Nelson is an unqualified buffoon, who's only qualification is playing Santa Claus. Anthony DeFranco, (not Craig DeFranco), was the only supervisor that displayed any common sense during the hiring process. John Bermingham is a snake oil salesman, Teel & Due aren't that sharp, so this is who you end up with. I thought John Brown was a terrible county executive, but he was by far, the much better choice. He could've used his state wide connections to steer grant money to the township. But, I heard through a reliable source, that McClure was adamant that they don't appoint Brown. Unfortunately, after this debacle, its time to sell my property in UMBT.
9:54
The SOTU deserved to have a Cleveland Steamer land on it. It was already filled with BS.
Over in Bethlehem Township Howard Kutzler was making $90,000 per year being the the Manager and Planning person. He was replaced by two less experienced people for a combined salary of $200,000. It happens all the time. Nothing to see here in sleepy Upper Mount Bethel.
Due is a good person and he should know better than to hire Big Eddie but for some reason he fell asleep on this one. Teel is a businessman who has no business in politics..he is merely well known and that was enough to get elected. Bermingham a very sly operator and I think he saw Ed as a pawn who would do as he was told and nothing more. Blame Ron Angle..he's probably the real reason this thing is upside down.
eh... Blamer Trump or Ron Angle Sr... gotta blame someone.. not the bozo's that did this YOU Board of Supervisor's
Dave Due is just plain stupid. His head whistles in a crosswind. Bullshit Bermingham is slowly being exposed for the charlatan he is. He works overtime to portray himself as this upstanding public servant and as time is slowly showing what a Jersey Huckster he is. He is better known as a religious pretender. Some republican conservative huh. Jersey John the swindler now is kissing babies and think he has the locals hooked.... stay tuned as your taxes rise and he is blowing our tax money and making secret back room meetings and deals with shady people at our monies expense. Sewers and warehouses along with low income housing will be his downfall. As for Teel.....I remember when he has "Horton's boyfriend"...Our Township people better wake up fast we have some smooth operators and in two of the supervisors and Dave Due slipped in the gene pool when the lifeguard wasn't watching-
Must be Obama's fault..everything else is.. or so says the orange man.
@2:32
The Orange Man is Obama’s legacy.
Suck it up.
Can someone tell me how a secretary gets a 20 thousand raise?
Bernie you did such a great job uncovering the Miller story you need to dig into this even more. The corruption runs deep. Everything is tied to Teel and Defranco. Birmingham is their puppet. Pinter is a chump. Dig deep we know you will find it! Make them squirm until the transparency runs out of them.
Speaking of shit water. This shitwell runs deep!. Check spending for building supplies. Seems alot of material paid for by umbt goes towards new home construction material associated with a new home builder/supervisor. Are twp plow trucks to be used by supervisors for personal snowplowing?
The 2nd biggest township relies on psp for coverage. This makes no sense at all. Psp can take 2 hours to show up, seems to me a regional could be there literally within minutes. Perhaps certain folks dont like the watchful eye of local pd...no dignified trooper wants to report to your broom closet. WAKE UP UMBT!!!!!! Nelson needs to stay as Santa. Hes a washed up parkin lot babysitter that needs to be in florida, not out on sickleave as soon as he gets a lucritive key position that pays over 100G per year. And theres a ton more shit at paytons place. Voters need to jump on this shit before its too late, seems the implants may be being taken advantage of because they dont know any better?? May the fun begin.
Only in UMBT, this is only the start for this place, no police force, no ambulance service in the township, the so called fire companies are getting over 350,00 a year from us and promising John, Teel who’s nephew is on one of the fire departments and dumb Due just keep giving them more whenever they ask, for what we don’t really know. One of the companies barely have enough guys to man a truck, I’m an old scanner jockey and listen to them all the time and now they want to buy another new one, they just bought a used one from Hanover Township ( Lehigh County ) and that’s not good enough already. Taxpayers get ready, pretty soon they will want a ladder truck to try to compete with Portland. Sure glad I don’t live up in the bone yards
These township officials are so-called conservative republicans'. Most of the townships are run by republicans'. This is the kind of government you get.
Exactly!!!!
Is UMBT hiring ? Seems like the board thinks they all sorts of money to throwing around.
Why do the acting supervisors think the people that voted the, into office would want them to hire a supervisor that was voted out of office to manage the township?
All the supervisors stated at the sewer planning meetings was that our taxes would not go up? Is this in their plan, raise taxes now before they start the sewer project so it does not look like they raised the taxes for that project?
Why would we start a inexperienced township manager at the salary rate that an experienced manager was slated to receive?
In my career I had to prove my worth and work my way up the pay scale, it seems UMBT does not believe in that.
What about all the past corruption? With Supervisor Judy, and all that shady business?
The shit flavored water seems to be one Allentowns many issues too. From drinking this delicious sweet smelling drink it must put brains on permanent brain cell loss similar to embalming the brain. There grey matter still lets bodily functions continue as the cisternious smells fill the air in town halls.
We don't want regional police. It is unnecessary and expensive!
Do you ever live in the township?
Nicely said...
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.
Ho Ho Ho.. Bend Over..... Santa's elves Bermingham, Teel and Due.....are about to give it up the chimney...
Who would hire a good that was not re elected and losst the next two elections?
Bernie, check out Mr. Fisher’s reply in LVL.
Republicans? These dingleberries will put whatever letter behind their name it takes to get elected. John Burning hams is a republican just like I'm rich an famous. Hey pass the popcorn, let's have another movie night!
8:52..Rick shoots straight..known him for too long to doubt his sincerity. Something smells rotten in UMBT!
Fat Ed would not know a deficit from a surplus if you pointed a gun at him. UMBT has returned to the wild, wild west form of government. Pity the tax paying public/residents.
He's a registered Democrat! And they have the biggest Democratic now as Manager! Nothing conservative about Birmingham, loves giving away everything to anybody... someone got to pay the piper.
Rf couldn't talk his way through a P/L statement. Hell I've heard that he cost the township over 30k because he thought he was a computer guru and screwed up the infrastructure. Also heard from someone who is in the tswp office that he cost the twsp 7k a year just to have him Bonded as his credit was absolutely horrible! Don't know if I trust someone with those mgt skills to balance a checkbook.
Rick was the only sane person in the building. That place is a circus. Maybe the next bus trip can take the residents to the supervisors meeting tonight!
SAD now got in UMTB, everyone can complain in the computer and to their neighbors but no one can take the time to go to the meeting and complain where it counts. This meeting should have been so well attended that it would have been had to held at the fire company !!!!!
SAD SAD SAD
A lot of talk about Santa Claus and Scott Miller....how about the white elephant in the room??? The one named Ron Jr.?
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