Before I post the latest video of the Middletown Township Committee at work during this past Monday night's workshop meeting, I have to post this clip, it's a classic!
During the public hearing to discuss the $1.5M bond ordinance(#2013-3087) that will be used to finance the construction of 1 artificial turf sports field on the grounds of Thompson School and other field improvements at various schools around town, resident Linda Baum asked if a cost analysis was done to show revenue neutrality regarding the borrowing of the $1.5M to construct and improve these fields. The reason behind her asking was simple, at a previous meeting Committeeman Kevin Settembrino commented that the field project would be "revenue neutral" (his words) and the bond would be paid off by the money raised through increasing the user fees that various sports leagues around town pay to use the fields. To see if this was true and verify that revenue neutrality was indeed going to be achieved, she wanted to know if any documents existed to support Senttembrino's statement.
In typical fashion, acting mayor Gerry (I learned everything I needed to know about budgeting through osmosis) Scharfenberger told Ms. Baum that yes, there was a cost analysis done but there were no documents that could be OPRA'ed by her to verify the numbers because it was all done in in their (Township Committee/Administrator's) head.
OMG and LOL, I can't stop myself from laughing! We really do have a bunch of geniuses working for us here in Middletown.
20 comments:
That explains their fuzzy math.
You know full well that people - even politicians - can make unscripted comments that can be awkward. (Just try listening to Ms. Baum speaking in public once in a while, LOL).
I don't know anything at all about this "analysis" or the bond, but I do note that the members of the TC have the strong support of the voters as evidenced by the election results year after year.
So yeah, you can laugh at occasional misstatements, but I think your laughter will likely ring hollow the first Tuesday in November...
blah,blah blah.....
Yup. That's what most people think when they read your ramblings...
Blah, blah, blah...
Doesn't it bother you when Fox News does this same thing to the President?
Legion seems fairly adept at missing the point when staying on point could only make a Republican on the Township Committee look stupid, dumb or just plain incompetent. The post has nothing to do with how people voted, or will vote in November. The post is not about Ms. Baum. The post is about how there is a claim that there isn't any paperwork, any official documentation to justify how numbers were arrived at regarding the bond for the turf fields and how it is all "revenue neutral". If there isn't any documentation regarding cost analysis, then Trasante and Mercantante both need to be fired. And, if the members of the Township Committee didn't do any kind of cost analysis that the public can view, then they need to be removed from office. Gerry Scharfenberger is incompetent. If Fiore gave the kind of answer to his boss at Prudential that Scharfenberger gave to the public, he would probably do serious damage to his career. Scharfenberger works for the State of New Jersey and collects $95 thousand a year -- I wonder if he keeps his salary related cost analysis work in his head, as well. When there is one political party in complete control the people get arrogance and incompetence in return for their vote. The Board of Education needs to receive an OPRA request for this documentation as well as the Township Committee. There needs to be an official response on paper documenting that there isn't any documentation supporting just how revenue neutral the turf field is or is not.
If you listen to the tape, you will see that this was an attempt to have Baum request a document that doesn't exist. It doesn't necessarily mean the TC or the administration didn't do analysis. It sounds to me like there isn't anything that can be OPRA'd. Move on.
As for comments made by Scharfenberger or Fiore and how they could impact their careers, there is one major difference. They are volunteering here. They are not representing their firms or the state agency they work for. At least they have jobs. What does candidate Baum currently work?
Anon 7:32,
Tony Fiore is not volunteering anything. He is receiving his $4000 stipend from the township and the only reason why Gerry isn't taking his is because his Christie appointed job depends on it!
Let's think about this for a minute, how do you rightfully authorize borrowing $1.5M to build a synthetic field and make statements that it will be "revenue neutral" if someone didn't work on and present those numbers her powers that be? If a fact filled presentation wasn't made to justify these statements than all their doing is guessing!
If my boss wants to spend that kind of money on a capital improvement that will be "revenue neutral" than he better have the engineers and accountants put together a proposal that justifies spending that kind of money. It's simple Business 101.
Actually an analysis of this situation would be quite simple, I don't think paper would be required.
This is based on the "added revenue" from the BOE and the raised field permits, right?
That revenue balanced against the cost of the bond would determine if the bond was going to be revenue neutral.
So the TC, knowing that the BOE is contributing $250K, asks the Director of Parks and Recreation: "How much will the new permit fees bring in?"
Then, having the revenue figure, they ask the CFO: "What will the down payment and then the annual bond payments be?"
In several seconds - and with no detailed written analysis - they would know if the bond project is going to be revenue neutral.
No need for wailing and gnashing your teeth. No need for implications of fraud and corruption. It's even simpler than Business 101: is R1+R2>=C1+C2?
Even the people who regularly post here can do that math in their head...
I'm sure that Fiore and Scharfenberger are doing this for the $4000. How could they pay their bills without it??? It is still $4k more in earned income than the Democratic Candidate Baum.
Maybe if Linda wins she can make the TC a full time job?
IF these republican political characters had brains they might be really be dangerous.
Legion 7:54 a.m......Hey Sybil, at it again ?? Spout your crap over on MMM where stupid broad's opinions may be welcome.
Wonder if the patronage that may be generated from this turf field crap is what is being hidden from the public.
Remember the last episodes regarding turf fields, their construction,the law suit or the poor choice of locations( West Front Street ) and the resulting ridiculous expenses and nothing to show for it.
Integrity and honesty escapes this bunch .
Middletown needs a Bid Rig Investigation.
Amazing that we cannot fund our library and close the branches but that turf fields become a priority !
Where does Middletown find these macho lunatics ?? Do they know enough to come in out of the rain ?
It's no wonder they HIDE the facts !
Anon 5/11 7:27 has a valid point, but notice that no specifics about the cost or revenue have been provided, so we are not empowered to do the math ourselves. What's more, when asked who did the analysis, the simple scenario you mention was not the response given. Someone should have asked for the numbers, pesky as they are. The new fields may be a good thing and there may be reasons that justify the project in such a difficult year, but the rush to do this and the "one time shot, now or never" deal presented to the school board raises questions about the motives. With so many other costs right now, it is appropriate that the math for this project be scrutinized and be something more than a rough estimate.
Does earned income have anything to do with qualifications to serve on the TC. Has anyone ever served that was retired or was self employed or isn't the current female TC member a writer of racy novels ? Whoppee.
Stop throwing stones because Linda Baum is a candidate for the opposing party.
Guess it's a mortal sin to be a Democrat in this town. The Republicans are bigoted and politically mentally
challenged in this community. It results in a lousy atmosphere in which to reside.
Someone should bring Money Magazine up to date on the real facts on community life in Middletown.
Scharfenberger went through the same nonsense on turf fields four years ago when running for re-election. This man has difficulty with the truth and is an example of an incompetent self serving politician and he should not be returned to another term on the TC.
There are over 70,000 residents of Middletown and there has to be some Republican better qualified than him.
Money for turf fields no money to televise committee meetings. Scharfenbagger ran on a promise transparency in governance last time around. Now he does financial calculations in his head so the public does not know the truth and information can not be obtained via the open public records act. This new ploy of paying for the turf fields comes after they told us the increased fees would be used to pay for maintenance of the current fields. Hey Scharfy, will you ever deliver on that promise of transparency? Or will you and your ilk continue to leave the residents in the dark?
That man is incapable of telling the truth,the whole truth even if life depended on it. What a wind bag !
Transparency from him, truly a joke. He can't even define transparency despite his promises.
This turf field crap is all about re-election...then turf fields will never happen.
If this town has money to burn, open the library branches and serve every resident of Middletown, not just the sports jocks ! We already have turf fields at the high schools !!
I kind of think that each and every bond comes with distinct documentation, and thus, is transparent to the public.
As for the revenue from the permits -- I didn't hear anybody ask for those numbers on the tape of this meeting.
If anything is transparent, it's the attempt of Mike and his ilk to pretend that almost everything the municipal government does isn't readily available to the town's citizens...
Pretty pathetic, and history shows that it doesn't work...
Think anon 8:51p.m. is the very individual who serves on this TC and has no integrity about any of this issue and never has had any in the past nor does he have any now.!!
Scharfey you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of us all of the time!!!
Kudos to Mike for keeping the residents of Middletown informed because this TC is a sneaky bunch and treats the citizens of this town with distain, talking down and disregarding and disrespecting the citizens repeatedly.
anon 851
IF the bond documentation does contain the information that was asked for by a resident why was it not offered to answer their questions?
As for the revenue from the permits the tc told us the monies would be used to maintain the fields we have. Now the money will be used to pay this bond and we are sure the fields will remain in the sorry shape they have been in for years. Just like the sorry shape the tc has been in for years.
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