Tempers Flare Over Scott's Street Paving Projects

The summer street paving season is almost finished in and a couple officials aren’t happy about how the money was spread around.

The township commissioners have a little extra money in this year’s street paving budget and decided to send it to only one of the wards that previously wasn’t supposed to be reconstructed.

But Commissioner Bill Wells estimated the township has hundreds of thousands in additional savings this year that should be used to pave all four of the nine wards that haven’t been touched.

The problem started last December when Wells, David Calabria, Craig Stephens and former Commissioner Dennis “DJ” Brooks without a tax increase.

But Board President Tom Castello said during the township’s Tuesday night voting meeting that they will have about $5,000 extra from the $270,000 paving budget and suggested they put another $23,000 in the pool to Brooks’ former ward. Stacey Altman now represents those residents and Castello didn’t think it was fair since she wasn’t yet elected to the seat.

That decision didn’t sit well with Wells, who claimed to find $190,000 in unused money in the budget. He said he felt like they were being “spanked” for their earlier decision.

“If the roads are in such dire condition, why aren’t we paving them with this extra money?” Wells said.

Commissioner Eileen Meyers countered that they may need that unused money down the road.

“We still have four months to go,” Meyers said. “What if we need that money in four months?”

Wells, though, said the majority of that money was earmarked to hire two public works crewmen, which still hasn’t happened. Calabria agreed they should use that extra money to pave all of the wards equally.

“We voted to not raise taxes, but we didn’t have to raise taxes,” Calabria said. “There’s money here for every to pave our roads.”

Wells was more brash with his thoughts.

“Don’t spank people because people voted against your budget,” he said. “I don’t like to be spanked.”

The commissioners ultimately voted unanimously to send the additional $28,000 to Altman’s ward for reconstruction.