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[JimV]

"Mayoral Control" ?? Did the MAYOR actually have the final word in this mess? And... what did Lavorini bring to the table on this decision??? I must have missed something in this process. I thought the Board was the "Governing Authority"... so now I am to believe they had no decision power? day one?
 

Well, I for one am willing to take good news where I can get it, in the short term.  At the very least, this shows that the sewer department is now being run effectively and efficiently--something that was NEVER the case under mayoral control.

Look, all that I'm saying is that when the sewer department was under the direct control of the city, there was rampant delinquency and sweetheart debt-forgiveness and quid-pro-quo deals being cut with the worst deadbeats.  Since 2009 the department has been run instead by the Sharon Sanitary Authority established by the home rule charter, and we're seeing positive cash flow, a crackdown in deliquencies and succesful grant applications.  A positive change?  You tell me.

[Jayhawk]

"Mayoral Control" ?? Did the MAYOR actually have the final word in this mess?

When it was run as a city department, yes.

And if he wasn't in charge and responsible, then he wasn't doing his job.

[Lifetime]

First... I find it hard to believe that the MAYOR allowed ALL to pass over paying the bill..... seems he would have had to Micro Manage and even the POTUS can't do that.... I think it was those under the Mayor a lot more than him... It is the political set up at any level.
 
Second... Yes .... we are seeing money being paid in the deliquent account.... Have to say ... my family was not on the list so we didn't make this problem any worse.... Now we may be in the crap again looking for another "Manager".... from where and where will the next one choose NOT to live. Believe me, a grain of sand goes well toward filling a hole but .... we have other problems that DO fall under the Manager and his/her's parameters..... involving his/her's direct appointments. Homes and land that generates.... NO TAXES and citizens who DON'T "have" to. I understand that this problem has been with us for decades but the first shovel of dirt begins to fill the hole.... we are waiting for the shovel it seems. The Sewer Bills fall into the same catagory as TAXES, be they, School, Property or Income. We and communities around us have become the dumping grounds to make this a worse MONEYPIT that we don't seem to have the desire to actually correct.... legislatively, judicially or even morally. So...as I see this.... it isn't the system of Government, it is the system that spans Government responsibilities to Personal ones as well. Mayoral or Managerial...there will be no differences of a noticable level unless those responsibilities come into play... If you don't have a horse in this race.....you haven't given any skin, so nothing to lose. It all is based on acquiring and holding onto MONEY. IMHO

[Jayhawk]

First... I find it hard to believe that the MAYOR allowed ALL to pass over paying the bill..... seems he would have had to Micro Manage and even the POTUS can't do that.... I think it was those under the Mayor a lot more than him...

when you're running a city with, what, a $10 or 15 million budget?, and you've got one revenue-driven department under you -- whether sewers, wage tax or property tax -- leaking to the tune of a million bucks in uncollected revenue accumulated in just a decade, fixing that problem is not micromanaging. And those under the mayor were indeed under the mayor's authority when it comes to supervising and accountability.

i believe hizzonner was among those getting their picture taken and praising what we later learned was one sewer deadbeat who "donated" paving services to the city. If he didn't know it was an in-kind service to pay debts at a dubious and non-bid rate, he should have.

It all is based on acquiring and holding onto MONEY.

which the current, independent, professionally managed sewer authority is NOT doing when there's a reason that the money isn't needed.

[Lifetime]

Not making excuses, but..... It just shows that others in the system were at fault as well and I am seeing many of the same faces involved in Sharon decisions still. Being Mayor or Manager doesn't afford the time to actually oversee all things.... that is the use of delegation. My point is... Mayor or Manager.... strange things will and do continue. Am watching the antics of the Hermitage Board and they have the same problems.... one is what everyone cried about with us under a Mayor.... "Good Ol' Boy/Girl Syndrome" It doesn't disappear... it just is there in a different form. Again.... Budget at any amount...the head of an Entity is at a loss to know the total workings of the entity always includes people appointed to keep it humming along. Even the Captain of a ship is notified by someone in the bowelof his ship if there is a leak....even though the Captain never sees the leak. It is all chain of command... Higher ups rely on those under to keep things in order. "Generals" never inspect a Latrine. They rely on the "report". They never know of a problem until it becomes unavoidably apparent..
 
I don't think anyone has brought forth any written agreement and content thereoff of anything Levio and the Mayor did. Is there anything other than what Levio said??? Was it "assumed". I don't know.
 
Fact remains.... our city is in dire straits... leaks in the hull and no one has cared for a long time. A bandaid can slow it but... honesty and integrity can stop it.
 

First... I find it hard to believe that the MAYOR allowed ALL to pass over paying the bill..... seems he would have had to Micro Manage and even the POTUS can't do that.... I think it was those under the Mayor a lot more than him...

when you're running a city with, what, a $10 or 15 million budget?, and you've got one revenue-driven department under you -- whether sewers, wage tax or property tax -- leaking to the tune of a million bucks in uncollected revenue accumulated in just a decade, fixing that problem is not micromanaging. And those under the mayor were indeed under the mayor's authority when it comes to supervising and accountability.

i believe hizzonner was among those getting their picture taken and praising what we later learned was one sewer deadbeat who "donated" paving services to the city. If he didn't know it was an in-kind service to pay debts at a dubious and non-bid rate, he should have.

It all is based on acquiring and holding onto MONEY.

which the current, independent, professionally managed sewer authority is NOT doing when there's a reason that the money isn't needed.

[Jayhawk]

Budget at any amount...the head of an Entity is at a loss to know the total workings of the entity always includes people appointed to keep it humming along. ... Higher ups rely on those under to keep things in order.  They rely on the "report". They never know of a problem until it becomes unavoidably apparent.

It was a pretty flat, small and close organizational structure, nothing the size of a battleship.

This was a city where taxpayer checks routinely sat for days undeposited.

Where late payment fees to utilities in the thousands of dollars were a routine occurrence.

And where, until about 3 years ago, it never occurred to anyone that it would be a good idea for council to get a current, monthly report showing how revenues and expenses compared so far to the budgeted amounts. The last two mayors admitted on multiple occasions that they simply weren't able to tell council where the city stood financially at a given point. (It didn't help, either, that deficits were covered by borrowing from wage taxes that were supposed to be forwarded in a timely manner to the workers' cities of residence.)
 

I don't think anyone has brought forth any written agreement and content thereoff of anything Levio and the Mayor did. Is there anything other than what Levio said??? Was it "assumed". I don't know.

That's just it. The city confirmed that something like $30,000 in old sewer debts had been settled with the paving "donation" -- an amount that crossed the threshold for requiring competitive bids, among other problems with the deal.
 

Fact remains.... our city is in dire straits... leaks in the hull and no one has cared for a long time. A bandaid can slow it but... honesty and integrity can stop it.

And that seems to be what's happening. Finally.

[NightmarePatrol]

Wait... today it says the sewer bill are going up 56 percent. I guess I'm confused about this whole thing. No, it won't affect me in the least... but it's quite the reversal.

[GROK]

NP,
That is in a neighboring community that I believe uses Sharpsville's sewer plant not Sharon's.

[Lifetime]

I think they mentioned those in South Py who use Sharpsville Sewer/Water. A lot of people in South Py, still use septics and maybe a few outhouses  .
 
It is only a matter of time when that will end I fear. The further we try to get away from "municipals" the eventuality is they will catch up with you.
 
 

Wait... today it says the sewer bill are going up 56 percent. I guess I'm confused about this whole thing. No, it won't affect me in the least... but it's quite the reversal.