State organization recognizes Boni
A.J. Boni is moving Perry Township forward, and people are beginning to notice. Boni’s dedication to the township recently earned the eight-year township supervisor statewide recognition at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors’ 86th annual Educational Conference and Trade Show in Hershey.
Boni was awarded the President’s Leadership Award at the May conference. He is the first supervisor from Fayette County to receive the award.
“I was very surprised and very appreciative to receive the award,” he said. “It’s a tremendous honor to be singled out from so many great supervisors across the state.”
The President’s Leadership Award was established in 1990 and is annually given to a township administrator whose outstanding work has benefited his or her community.
Shirl Barnhart, PSATS executive board member and supervisor in Morgan Township, Greene County, said Boni makes residents’ needs his top priority.
“Throughout his eight years as an elected supervisor for Perry Township, A.J. has always kept the needs of the 2,600 residents foremost in his mind. His continued involvement and support from the community has helped him keep the township moving in a progressive direction,” said Barnhart, who nominated Boni for the award.
During Boni’s first few years in office, he and fellow Supervisor Janet Galla were faced with the daunting task of tackling $725,000 debt created by former supervisors.
Boni said the township had $76 in the bank and no equipment when he and Galla took over.
“We didn’t even have a shovel, so a neighboring municipality gave us one,” he said. “The first couple months on the job neither one of us took home a paycheck because there was no money. We had to lay off a guy who had been working for the township full time. We were forced to make a lot of hard decisions, but you have to realize that when you run for office, not everything will be easy. You’ve got to be willing to stand up and make some tough decisions.”
Boni said he and Galla took a hard look at the township’s finances and did what they had to do.
“A big part of the challenge when I took office was getting the community’s trust back. It came down to not trying to beat the system and getting rid of thievery. You try to turn dimes into dollars and you get the community involved. As an elected official you can never be afraid to have the community involved. You have to encourage that,” Boni said.
Boni and Galla inherited the debt from abuses by former councilmen Richard Uhrin and Adam Muccioli, who stole nearly $400,000 from the township in the late 1990s.
The financial woes were discovered in an independent audit, conducted by Cypher and Cypher public accountants in 2000, that found that internal controls had failed, checks were paid out of incorrect funds and payroll taxes went unpaid.
Uhrin, in his capacity as secretary-treasurer, was overpaid $359,225, and Muccioli was overpaid $36,126 for his former position as township roadmaster, the report indicated.
In 2004 Uhrin was sentenced in federal court to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay the township full restitution In March of 2005 Muccioli pleaded no contest to stealing the money from the township and was ordered to repay $36,126.36 in restitution.
The township also accrued a total debt of $1.3 million in the late 1990s when the alleged abuses took place.
Galla, who was elected in 2002, said she and Boni have worked hard to correct the “financial woes and mismanagement” of Perry Township.
Within a few years of taking office, Boni and Galla were able to pare down the $725,000 debt to $85,000 while caring for roads and purchasing needed equipment.
“During A.J.’s eight years in office, the township has seen major improvements to the roads, equipment, municipal building and recreation areas,” Galla said. “It’s a pleasure and honor to work with someone who is focused and committed to the same ideals I hold and is willing to make decision that will benefit the township and its residents.”
Boni has been involved with storm water-management improvements to alleviate flooding and helped secure a $100,000 grant to build a new sewage treatment plant. He also has been involved in recreation projects that benefit residents and encourage a healthier lifestyle.
Boni said he and Galla have the “same vision for Perry Township” and make a great team.
“We both want to see Perry Township succeed,” he said. “The township has been through a lot in the past, but that’s behind us now and Janet and I are prepared to move forward. You can’t be stagnant.”
Taking all praise in stride, Boni said nothing would have been possible without support from residents, neighboring municipalities and local legislators.
“I have to give credit to other townships in the county that really stepped up to help us,” he said, also mentioning the Fayette County commissioners; state Rep. Deberah Kula, D-North Union Township; and state Sen. Rich Kasunic, D-Dunbar.
In addition, Boni said he would be remiss if he didn’t mention his wife, Suzanne, who understands his commitment to Perry Township.
In addition to being a township supervisor, Boni is the township’s road master, emergency management coordinator and assistant fire chief of the Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department.
“My wife is very supportive and understands the commitments I’ve made to the township,” he said. “When it snows, I’m out plowing roads. When the fire whistle goes off, I’m out the door. Those are commitments I’ve chosen to make.”
Boni said his life is governed by values he learned as a child, noting that his family instilled in him the importance of honesty and hard work. He has an open-door policy and said anyone is welcome to take a look at the pile of papers on his desk.
“We have nothing to hide in Perry Township,” Boni said. “I believe that open government is good government. I never do anything I wouldn’t want to read about in the newspaper, because if you’re doing something you don’t want anyone to know about, you shouldn’t be doing it.”
Although elected officials sometimes shy away from media attention when they have a problem, Boni, who sits on the PSATS Publications/Public Relations Committee and is currently president of the Fayette County Association of Township Officials, said he believes public matters should be addressed publicly.
“As an elected official, you’ve got to realize that newspapers are going to call you out if you stumble, but if you’re trying to walk, they’ll also help you. You’ve got to work with newspapers and not against them,” he said.
Boni said he doesn’t think a lot of people understand the important role a township supervisor plays within a community.
“If you’re doing you’re job right, being a supervisor requires a lot more than making sure the roads are cleaned in the winter and paved in the summer,” he said. “Supervisors are in charge or managing all aspects of the township.”
No matter what he’s doing, Boni said he never forgets that his job is to see that the needs of Perry Township residents are met.
“The community is at the heart of it all,” he said. “Perry Township is my responsibility, and it’s a responsibility I take seriously.”