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Festival financial records become hot topic at meeting
Patience Barnes — who recently filed a lawsuit against the borough over a disparity in the population of the three wards and who, for more than a year, has been asking for various borough records — said she was unhappy with a copy of the Glass Festival audit she was given by borough officials.
Barnes, who said she is an accountant, said there was not enough detail to the information provided, and she also wanted to know why some of the Glass Festival profits were not used to keep borough taxes lower.
While admitting the festival committee is considered an arm of the borough for insurance purposes, council President Michael Tabita said the borough is not responsible for supplying detailed records from the committee. He also said festival profits should not be used to offset borough expenses because, "These are volunteers, and they do not use general-fund money in their operation. This is not taxpayers' money."
"We started out with pennies 16 years ago," said Mayor Gerald Lucia, who has been a member of the festival committee since its inception and said he was offended by Barnes' request.
Lucia, while admitting that some profits have been realized in recent years, pointed out it is necessary to carry those profits over from year to year because the committee never knows what funding sponsorships or donations may bring in.
When Councilman Gene Rosky asked how one could go about looking at the festival committee's books, Lucia became particularly irate. After the two exchanged barbs, Lucia offered to show Rosky, Barnes and anyone else who was interested the committee's books immediately after the conclusion of the council meeting.
"I don't want anyone to go out of this room this evening and say we hid anything," Lucia said.
Apparently fed up with what he considered Barnes' constant probing, Councilman Joseph Bauer asked, "Are we going to go after the Little League next? Where's it going to stop?"
After council returned from an executive session in which Barnes' suit and several other issues were discussed, council members had even more to say.
Claiming Mt. Pleasant has the best group of volunteers he has ever seen, Tabita said, "I want the volunteers to know they are well appreciated in the borough. There is no room for negative energy."
Referring to Barnes' suit and continuing litigation involving the borough's former secretary, Jaynette Brown, Tabita said, "There's a significant cost to this borough, and it's from negative energy. <#201> This baloney is costing a mill in taxes."
Councilwoman Phyllis Newell supported that claim, saying the premium on the borough officials' liability insurance alone has jumped in one year from about $3,000 to more than $16,000.
Even if the borough wins the suits, Newell said the premiums will remain high for five to six years.
"These things aren't hurting me, they're hurting every taxpayer in town," Newell said. "They're the people who are going to pay."
Lucia agreed with Newell's assessment.
"You've got two choices. You're stuck at the end of the year with either a millage increase or a service cut," Lucia said.
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