Outgoing commissioners did us in
A new year has begun and to borrow from an old expression, “You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.”
Over the past four years, outgoing Fayette County Commissioners Al Ambrosini and Vince Zapotosky have created county positions that did not exist before they took office. They voted yes to “adjust” the pay of certain county employees and they raised the millage rate from 3.51 mills to 4.51 mills. Indeed, they have been busy. A question must be asked – why?
Let us examine the new positions first. A building and grounds director – a position the two commissioners decided to create. Why? The second position – a media relations specialist – chief clerk position. Why? Thirdly, a business manager for the prison. Why? Finally, a parks and recreation director. Why?
Recently, an article or story was written concerning county employees that were the recipients of “adjustments” to their remuneration package. Call it what you may. In reality they were given raises and some of their raises were retroactive. Why were raises doled out before the end of their elected term? Only Ambrosini and Zapotosky can answer that.
As we regress back to their first year in office, Commissioners Ambrosini and Zapotosky voted yes to raise property taxes by one mill. One mill is equal to $4 million and that increase was never adjusted to lower the rate over the next four years. The result was a tax increase of $4 million a year over the term of their office which totaled $16 million. That is quite a sum of money to remove from the local economy and to ask the question of why, because they wanted to.
Under their reign, Commissioners Ambrosini and Zapotosky have successfully increased the size and scope of county government. Hopefully, their actions have exposed the power that two elected officials have.
The legacy of former Fayette County Commissioners Al Ambrosini and Vince Zapotosky will include the following: they raised taxes, they created positions and they gave raises. Why? Because they wanted to!
Under their direction, Fayette County is a better place to live and work and if you don’t believe that – just ask them.
We should be thankful that their term of office was only four years. Just imagine what they could accomplish if their term was longer!
Edward J. Zadylak is a resident of Connellsville.