I decided not to write about the council on Wednesday the day after because it was yet another example of inefficiency and ineffective government on display. The city council and preceding committee meetings were mostly uneventful but there were a few moments that made me raise an eyebrow.
Community and Economic Development Meeting
An interesting overview of the Recompete Grant. The only thing that I would say about this $20 million grant that was awarded to the City in Aug 2024 is that it is paying for staff and facilities. The executive director and the CED Director were able to talk about what they envision to be done with the grant but could only point to expenses being paid for salaries and other overhead.
Councilman Binder frustrates me. He is clearly very intelligent and a watchdog for city taxpayers but he apologizes and tries to soften his approach constantly. He smelled the bullshit in the chambers and was ready to hold people accountable for not using the funds as intended, but something in him makes him backdown. It is really frustrating to watch. Councilman Binder - Sometimes calling them out is the only way. Who cares what they think of you?
Jeannie Garcia from Promise Neighborhoods spoke up about possibly being intentionally kept out of the grant process and watching other organizations get favored treatment. That would not surprise me at all. The city has nothing to show for the $20 million in funds and having no plan for qualifying sub-awardees is to be expected.
It seems the only Allentownians that are benefiting from this grant are the fat cats administering it. Figures. Corruption at its finest.
Full Council Meeting
Contracts….again. Here goes yet another group of contracts that need to increase the cost to the taxpayers because the scope of work has changed.
Good job Councilwoman Affa on finally questioning these city contracts. The contracts process is broken. I suspect one of two things: 1. There is no one in the city that knows how to write a good statement of work leaving it to the contractor to evaluate and adjust pricing because the bid doc and actual work needed are far off or 2. The normal vendors know how to bid low to secure the contract from the city with all intention to inflate the cost later. Either way the taxpayers are paying for these piss poor services from the employees and the contractors. The purchasing department (a Bina Patel sub department, by the way) is not serving the city taxpayers well at all.
There was yet another promotion and council partially blinked an eye on this one. Councilman Binder hinted that the Council and administration have agreed to finally follow the charter (after this one last final promotion) when it comes to reclassifying and promoting employees. Unfortunately they had a promotion from part-time to full-time that escaped following policy.
The Fire Chief tried to say it was cost neutral. (Firefighters literally are the biggest scammers) How? You are doubling the salary of the employee and they are now eligible for benefits. Seems to me that no one understands basic management and staffing. The administration knows how to bamboozle the clueless council.
Future discussion…..Start buckling up for another round of budget drama this year. This one should be even more interesting for the viewers because the city is struggling this year with unexpected expenses like the Stormwater fee that was misclassified as a fee and should have been a tax. Leaving the city to potentially refund tax-exempt organizations and a revenue loss of at least $6.7 million. Which I hope they have too.
Rumors of the DROP continue to swirl around. A huge benefit to the police department, but a new financial obligation that will have negative impact of the fiscal health of the city. The city will lose millions in state pension aid. Also, the biggest issue with that benefit, is the clause they put in that it lasts forever. Great way to give the city a permanent liability.
The Police and future Fire Station have not been cancelled. The city plans to borrow over $100 million to fund these two facilities. Why? They really aren’t necessary. The Police were evicted from the 10th street station after the rushed sale to JB Reilly….oops the Allentown Art Museum.
They have a new rental station that seems to be working just fine. The administration at 4th Street are doing just fine sitting behind their desks in their executive leather chairs watching illegal dirt bikes ride down Hamilton St. then crash.
Central Fire just got a new roof that, according to Public Works, addresses the biggest issue at Central. I think it cost $500,000. I mean they should definitely move soon now. Bulldoz that $500k to the ground.
Lastly, as with every year prepare for a bunch of taxpayer dollars to be handed out to non-profits, vendors who bid low and follow with a change order to bring to the real price, Matt Tuerk to increase his travel fund, the DEI Manager to continue to cash a check, promotions and reclassifications to select employees, while the real deserving employees get pushed aside, and another year of the Love Your Block Grant being used for overhead and not as it was intended. —the people.
There will be back and forth with the administration and council. Council will appear to care and want to do something about the misuse of taxpayer dollars. Cinthia Mota and Candida will definitely be against any tax increase but pressure from Santo Napoli, the Mayor’s not so secret weapon, will cause them both to change their position.
In the end we all know the result, behind the scenes — the council and administration will be in cahoots from the start, the budget will pass with all the pork and fluff and the council and mayor will congratulate Finance and each other for a great budget season. Always funny how losers congratulate themselves because no one else will. After which, they will all go to Jack’s Slice for their great food and alcohol afterwards in celebration.
we did it
Meanwhile, we taxpayers will be obligated to fund their inefficiency and stupidity.
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