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Bill question leads to change

By Steve Ferris sferris@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read

BROWNSVILLE — A question Tuesday about a bill for repairing the police department’s K-9 patrol vehicle led to a change in how borough council pays bills related to the K-9 unit.

Councilman Ross Swords II asked why a $400 bill for repairs to the vehicle was placed in the K-9 fund and not the fund for police vehicle repairs.

Council President James Lawver said Councilman John Hosler, who was absent from the meeting, handled the bill.

However, the K-9 program is not supposed to be funded by borough taxpayers’ dollars, Lawver said.

Councilwoman Tracy Sheehan Zivkovich said some of the borough’s bills are paid without approval from council, but all bills should be presented to council.

A motion to pay the monthly bills passed in a 3-2 vote.

Swords and Zivkovich voted against the motion and Councilmen Jack Lawver, Tom Bush and James Lawver voted in favor. Councilmen Charlie Perkins and Hosler were absent.

Zivkovich made a motion requiring council approval of all bills, but it failed in a 3-2 vote. James Lawver, Jack Lawver and Bush voted against it and Swords and Zivkovich voted in favor.

Utility bills are paid when they are received, Jack Lawver said. Waiting for council meetings for approval to pay those bills would result in “substantial” late fees, he said.

Those bills can be paid without incurring late fees, Zivkovich said.

“I want transparency,” she said.

“Nothing is being hidden,” James Lawver said. All bills are available for review, he said.

Later, council unanimously approved a motion requiring council approval of all K-9 bills.

In unrelated business, Mayor Lester Ward, who represents the borough on the Southwest Regional Tax Bureau board, reported that per capita tax collections are down this year.

The borough collects $4,000 a year in per capita taxes, but the amount should be $18,000, Jack Lawver said.

He said many tenants who should be paying the $10 a year tax don’t pay.

In other business, borough residents will be able to subscribe for free to a notification system that sends messages about emergencies, missing people and community events to cell phones. Subscription information will be posted on the borough’s website soon, James Lawver said.

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