Pottstown to accept Early Intervention grant

POTTSTOWN — As borough leaders look to an uncertain economic future, they will have a set of suggestions to help cut costs and improve efficiencies.
With the 5-1 vote Monday, the Borough Council agreed to accept a $35,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to participate in the Early Intervention Program. The program is designed to analyze and assess a municipality's operations and finances and to make suggestions for financial solvency and improved efficiency.The borough had applied for the grant last October and last month, a DCED representative visited council and asked why it had not acted after being informed it had been awarded the grant.Council asked for an additional month to consider the matter, given that a previous council had applied to the program and for some reason the $35,000 in matching funds the borough must provide was not included in the 2008 budget.But when it became clear the money would not be required until 2009, the decision became easier.It became easier still when Borough Council President David Garner said he had been contacted by Ronald Downie, who serves as chairman of the Pottstown Borough Authority, and that Downie had suggested that perhaps the authority could contribute toward the cost.When he is not serving as Borough Council President, Garner is the solicitor for the borough authority."Mr. Downie stressed that he could not speak for the entire authority, but he does feel that this effort is very worthwhile and has merit" given that the same finance department serves both the borough and the authority.However two other members of the five-member authority, Don Read and Tom Carroll, were in the audience. Afterward, Carroll said he supports that idea and Read said he wants to consider it more, but added "I am not opposed to it."Cost had been the concern raised by Councilman Jody Rhoads who cast the only "no" vote on accepting the grant money."First of all, I believe we can't afford the $35,000 match," Rhoads said prior to voting. "Second, Pottstown can review the recommendations given to the two towns we have info on. We can contact those towns for their input and we can come up with our own solutions."Rhoads was referring to reports produced by the program in other municipalities. A report produced last year for Easton was provided to council members by Borough Council Vice President Greg Berry and featured in a Aug. 10 article in The Mercury.The report outlined a number of steps Easton, which is similar to Pottstown in tax base and demographics, could take to keep from continually raising property taxes."For $30,000 I hope we are not going to just get a book with the recommendations that were given to other towns," Rhoads said.But Mayor Sharon Valentine-Thomas pointed out that Pottstown could further reduce the costs by providing some "in-kind" services from staff."I never want to go through a budget anything like we did in 2006," she said. "We are the watchdogs for the taxpayers and we have to do whatever we can."Berry called the vote — which occurred after the audience, filled with those there to make neighborhood complaints and comment on a possible pet law, had dwindled, "perhaps the most significant vote taken for financial stability for the rest of the borough."Also, Berry said, "this will finally help us deal with some management issues that have burdened us in past years."Councilman Stephen Toroney added "we did approve it once. I thought it was a great idea back then and I still do."

Pottstown Mercury - 08/14/08 - http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=20016492&BRD=1674&PAG=461&dept_id=635482&rfi=8