Residents, supervisor question German Township equipment purchase
GERMAN TWP. – At a meeting Tuesday night, residents questioned the township supervisors about $99,000 in equipment purchases. When the supervisors announced that they purchased a $24,000 wood chipper and $75,000 tractor through the state piggyback program, residents Ned Hornberger and Pete Savage said they were surprised because there was no public discussion about the purchases and no bids were solicited.
Supervisor Bob Croushore said he was against the purchase of the wood chipper because “a few hundred dollars in improvements would see us clear.”
Savage said that instead of spending the money on a new tractor, the supervisors could have saved money by purchasing a used one. He also said the board should have advertised for a tractor, to spend money within the community, before buying with the state.
“Buying new may be good for you, but is it good for the township?” Savage asked.
“I do have a fear that we will spend too much and wind up in debt,” Croushore said, adding that when he came into office 16 years ago, the equipment was in worse shape and that debt was high. “We worked hard to stretch our money to meet our needs within our means. I don’t want to see us get in debt.”
“The only reason you are upset is because this (new equipment) requires you to be here,” Supervisor Bob Belch responded. He then accused Croushore of having kept him “in a corner for the first five years of my service” to the township. Now that fellow Supervisor Dan Shimshock “is on my side,” Belch said that “a lot of things are going to change.”
“I came into office and wanted to serve the people. You wouldn’t let me serve the residents,” Belch added.
Croushore told Belch that the supervisors must meet certain guidelines and follow the law while serving the public.
Hornberger asked why the supervisors did not discuss the purchases at a public meeting, to get residents’ input, and Belch responded, “It wouldn’t make a difference if we did. It’s the same people here every month.”
In response to questions about how the township will pay for the purchases, Shimshock said 20 percent of the annual state liquid fuels money can be allocated for equipment purchases. Plus, he said, the rest of the debt would be picked up by $10,000 annual payments that could be reduced by grants.
When residents asked if taxes would be raised to cover the purchases, Shimshock said the payments would be made from the township’s liquid fuels allocation and from the landfill fund. The township receives a fee based on every ton of garbage brought to the CBF Landfill on Route 21. Depending on the amount dumped there, Croushore said, the site “could probably last 15 years” as a revenue source.
Belch also noted that with one fewer employee and by not maintaining a township police department, the supervisors were able to save money and use it for the benefit of the township.
By having newer equipment with fewer maintenance needs, Shimshock said, work could be done more efficiently and faster.
He also said that by using the piggyback program, the state handled the bidding on the township’s behalf, saving more money.
Belch said the township will construct a building to house the new equipment, but the supervisors have no plans to purchase more equipment this year.