A delinquent county
We can only hope the regime change next year in the county commissioners’ office will lead to a better cash flow. The commissioners again this year stopped paying bills. We suppose that those who regularly do business with the county anticipate that their bills will go unpaid. Whatever services or goods they supply will be consumed before the checks are cut.
But this year the travesty was taken to another level. The county refused to pay its field investigator in the coroner’s office for transporting bodies for autopsies to and from Pittsburgh.
Coroner Dr. Phillip E. Reilly on Monday disclosed that his right-hand man, Roger Victor, has not been paid $1,535 for services he provided during November. Dr. Reilly threatened to place a body, awaiting transport, in the courthouse rotunda to drive home his point that what the commissioners are doing is wrong. While the act is gauche, we can’t help but admire Reilly’s fire. What better way to provide the commissioners with visual and highly emotional evidence of the fallout from their actions. No one going about the task of living – especially during the holiday season – wants reminded of the inevitable conclusion to life.
Reilly and his capable staff have consistently dealt with the county’s deceased daily and have brought compassion and comfort to many grief-stricken and shocked families. One way of doing this is to ensure that the remains of loved ones are tended to in a timely, efficient manner. Autopsies often provide the answers that families so desperately need.
Victor for nearly 20 years has provided this transport service to the county at a rate of $135. The cost is reasonable, given the much higher fees that surrounding counties pay or that an ambulance service would charge.
The work is of a nature that few would be up to performing, especially year after year.
During past spending freezes, Victor has been paid. Dr. Reilly said that he was informed that Victor is now considered a vendor and he would just have to wait in line with the rest of the vendors until the freeze thaws in January.
This is a lousy way to run a county. Victor deserves payment. And so does every other vendor who provided goods and services to this county and who relies on these payments to pay employees and bills.
The commissioners should hang their heads in shame that they bank on every year running out of money yet continue to cash their own paychecks. We would hope the two commissioners-elect are paying attention.