Friday, April 26, 2013
SOC, Pennsbury Style
Kate: No accounting for this Pennsbury bully
Posted: Friday, April 26, 2013 2:00 pm | Updated: 5:08 pm, Fri Apr 26, 2013.
Pennsbury school board Director Simon Campbell’s knickers were in a twist over redistricting proposals, and Edgewood PTO President Amy Waters, who dared email the full school board on the subject, was going to hear about it.Campbell blasted her in a 720-word nasty gram he copied to the board, two principals, the superintendent of schools, and a state rep. (The full text of Wateroriginal email and Campbell’s response are attached to this column online.)The email has been widely circulated in the last two weeks by those who want Campbell and his knickers off the school board in this year’s elections. Ridiculously divisive, they say.
I asked Campbell if he realized what a jerk he’d been to Waters in his response to her. He didn’t see it that way. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he quipped.
Jerk, I say, because he began his emailed assault by mocking Waters’ salutation (She’d written, “Hello, Pennsbury School Board! My name is Amy Waters.”). It went swiftly, angrily downhill from there, accusing her in the end of a lack of regard for the district.
Didn’t see that coming, said a red-faced Waters. Her email wasn’t combative. It was, in fact, polite. She signed off, “Respectfully.”
The worst part was how humiliating it felt to let Campbell’s rebuff just hang there in the air. But answering him and copying the others to defend herself seemed a bad idea. She didn’t want to sound angry or shrill. So she sat like a scolded child and wondered why she was foolish enough to get involved.
Which, I suspect, is Campbell’s intention when he bullies.
There is a tendency by smart people to concede the last word to him. It has a chilling effect on intelligent, broad, thoughtful discussion of issues in Pennsbury.
There is no shortage of people willing to trade insults with him, but rather a shortage of informed, articulate, outspoken citizen champions for the schools.
To advocate, or lead a camp opposed to the bombastic Campbell’s way of seeing things, is to expose yourself to chiding at a taped public meeting, on Facebook, on YouTube, in news coverage and in emails copied to everyone and their brother.
Who needs it?
Waters is a reserved, married mother of two, and a former public accountant, internal auditor, and business manager for Merrill Lynch’s corporate audit department.
Her verbal whooping by Campbell came after she emailed the nine school board members suggesting that numbers used to decide Edgewood’s part in the redistricting seemed off to her. Way off. She offered to meet with them to explain her thinking. “Let us tell you what the numbers say,” she wrote.
If Campbell wasn’t impressed by her professional training in spotting garbage numbers, he might have rewarded her service with some modicum of respect.
Waters leads Edgewood’s PTO in raising considerable sums of money to pay for educational programs and materials that otherwise are unaffordable. Edgewood’s PTO at the Lower Makefield school also consistently collects truckloads of nonperishable food every year to stock a Lower Bucks pantry.
PTOs no longer are just about baking cupcakes and buying party streamers.
Waters is not actively involved in regional school board politics. She and other PTO parents involved themselves in the redistricting debate because they worry Edgewood’s enrollment is increasingly low. Could it be shuttered next if they don’t advocate?
And so, Waters was asking officials to hear her take on the numbers before sending 31 kids to Afton Elementary farther north in the redistricting domino.
Campbell, for his part, has publicly directed parents to “lobby” the school board on alternative suggestions to the redistricting plan and to lay off the 22-member committee that drafted it.
But in his email to Waters, Campbell seemed incensed that Edgewood parents and Waters took him at his word.
“I can tell you that your ability to influence me is not going to be enhanced by arranging for me to receive 100 emails in three days. Nor is it going to be enhanced by arranging for a crowd to talk ‘at’ me in a school board meeting. Nor does it impress me when you catch a public attitude with our superintendent.
“Nor does it work for me if anyone seeks to involve a state politician in their cause. Only school board directors have the legal authority to give any interest group what they might want. And none of us report to (state Rep.) Steve Santarsiero, who is welcome to express his view as a citizen but whose office has zero authority in this matter.
“Nor does it help if you seek to enlist (Edgewood’s) principal in your cause because your principal, at the end of the day, much like our superintendent, is part of the team who will have to administer the will of the board.”
“Elitist,” Campbell has said outside of the email in describing Edgewood parents. Selfishly seeking special treatment. Tantrum throwers. Childish.
Fighting words. And, if you are too grown up to fight back in the same way, as is the case with Waters, you are left standing before Campbell holding your hat in your hand, or in her case an email, with his words hanging in the air unchallenged.
As for the will of the board, one is left to wonder about it. So often the other eight board members go silent. Several are not seeking re-election. It leaves Waters to wonder if, they, too, can’t abide the public derision on Facebook, YouTube, at public meetings and in the press.
It’s a problem.
There’s so much at stake in the district. Reason to protect spirited, but broad, level, extensive discussion.
Redistricting. Outsourcing. Employee contracts. A suggestion by some that it’s time for pay-to-play to cover the cost of extra-curricular sports.
Only one school, Quarry Hill in Lower Makefield, will not be affected by the redistricting plan set to be voted on May 9. More than 650 kids to be shuffled in a move to save the cost of running Village Park in Falls.
“I guess the thinking is we all should share the pain,” Waters says.
Does that make sense? Hard to say.
Waters has asked for documentation to support some of the numbers central office provided the redistricting committee. Superintendent Kevin McHugh, who said in a statement to the school board that the numbers were based on “assumptions” and “criteria” consistently applied to all schools and which include “nuances,” has not provided it to her.
Every resident of the district should ask, why not?
I asked Campbell if he realized what a jerk he’d been to Waters in his response to her. He didn’t see it that way. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he quipped.
Jerk, I say, because he began his emailed assault by mocking Waters’ salutation (She’d written, “Hello, Pennsbury School Board! My name is Amy Waters.”). It went swiftly, angrily downhill from there, accusing her in the end of a lack of regard for the district.
Didn’t see that coming, said a red-faced Waters. Her email wasn’t combative. It was, in fact, polite. She signed off, “Respectfully.”
The worst part was how humiliating it felt to let Campbell’s rebuff just hang there in the air. But answering him and copying the others to defend herself seemed a bad idea. She didn’t want to sound angry or shrill. So she sat like a scolded child and wondered why she was foolish enough to get involved.
Which, I suspect, is Campbell’s intention when he bullies.
There is a tendency by smart people to concede the last word to him. It has a chilling effect on intelligent, broad, thoughtful discussion of issues in Pennsbury.
There is no shortage of people willing to trade insults with him, but rather a shortage of informed, articulate, outspoken citizen champions for the schools.
To advocate, or lead a camp opposed to the bombastic Campbell’s way of seeing things, is to expose yourself to chiding at a taped public meeting, on Facebook, on YouTube, in news coverage and in emails copied to everyone and their brother.
Who needs it?
Waters is a reserved, married mother of two, and a former public accountant, internal auditor, and business manager for Merrill Lynch’s corporate audit department.
Her verbal whooping by Campbell came after she emailed the nine school board members suggesting that numbers used to decide Edgewood’s part in the redistricting seemed off to her. Way off. She offered to meet with them to explain her thinking. “Let us tell you what the numbers say,” she wrote.
If Campbell wasn’t impressed by her professional training in spotting garbage numbers, he might have rewarded her service with some modicum of respect.
Waters leads Edgewood’s PTO in raising considerable sums of money to pay for educational programs and materials that otherwise are unaffordable. Edgewood’s PTO at the Lower Makefield school also consistently collects truckloads of nonperishable food every year to stock a Lower Bucks pantry.
PTOs no longer are just about baking cupcakes and buying party streamers.
Waters is not actively involved in regional school board politics. She and other PTO parents involved themselves in the redistricting debate because they worry Edgewood’s enrollment is increasingly low. Could it be shuttered next if they don’t advocate?
And so, Waters was asking officials to hear her take on the numbers before sending 31 kids to Afton Elementary farther north in the redistricting domino.
Campbell, for his part, has publicly directed parents to “lobby” the school board on alternative suggestions to the redistricting plan and to lay off the 22-member committee that drafted it.
But in his email to Waters, Campbell seemed incensed that Edgewood parents and Waters took him at his word.
“I can tell you that your ability to influence me is not going to be enhanced by arranging for me to receive 100 emails in three days. Nor is it going to be enhanced by arranging for a crowd to talk ‘at’ me in a school board meeting. Nor does it impress me when you catch a public attitude with our superintendent.
“Nor does it work for me if anyone seeks to involve a state politician in their cause. Only school board directors have the legal authority to give any interest group what they might want. And none of us report to (state Rep.) Steve Santarsiero, who is welcome to express his view as a citizen but whose office has zero authority in this matter.
“Nor does it help if you seek to enlist (Edgewood’s) principal in your cause because your principal, at the end of the day, much like our superintendent, is part of the team who will have to administer the will of the board.”
“Elitist,” Campbell has said outside of the email in describing Edgewood parents. Selfishly seeking special treatment. Tantrum throwers. Childish.
Fighting words. And, if you are too grown up to fight back in the same way, as is the case with Waters, you are left standing before Campbell holding your hat in your hand, or in her case an email, with his words hanging in the air unchallenged.
As for the will of the board, one is left to wonder about it. So often the other eight board members go silent. Several are not seeking re-election. It leaves Waters to wonder if, they, too, can’t abide the public derision on Facebook, YouTube, at public meetings and in the press.
It’s a problem.
There’s so much at stake in the district. Reason to protect spirited, but broad, level, extensive discussion.
Redistricting. Outsourcing. Employee contracts. A suggestion by some that it’s time for pay-to-play to cover the cost of extra-curricular sports.
Only one school, Quarry Hill in Lower Makefield, will not be affected by the redistricting plan set to be voted on May 9. More than 650 kids to be shuffled in a move to save the cost of running Village Park in Falls.
“I guess the thinking is we all should share the pain,” Waters says.
Does that make sense? Hard to say.
Waters has asked for documentation to support some of the numbers central office provided the redistricting committee. Superintendent Kevin McHugh, who said in a statement to the school board that the numbers were based on “assumptions” and “criteria” consistently applied to all schools and which include “nuances,” has not provided it to her.
Every resident of the district should ask, why not?
Persistence Pays Off
Persistence pays off
Posted: Friday, April 26, 2013 5:00 am | Updated: 7:45 am, Fri Apr 26, 2013.
The state formula for funding special education is so divorced from reality that its survival until now is truly remarkable. The funding is based on an estimate (guesstimate?) that special ed students make up 16 percent of the overall student population in each school district. It’s not difficult to see how such a rigid formula can’t possibly address the real-life numbers of special ed kids in individual districts. Schools where those numbers have been increasing have found it particularly difficult to properly serve physically and mentally challenged youngsters.State Rep. Bernie O’Neill, R-29 — who likely understands the plight of these students better than most of his colleagues, since he spent 25 years as a special ed teacher — has been a sort of champion for special education funding reform. In 2012, after working for several years to craft a measure to change the system, his legislation became so corrupted by amendments and Harrisburg politicking that he refused to support it. “I had such an empty, hollow feeling,” he recalls. “Last year, the process was so frustrating.”
Unfortunately, it’s that way with a lot of necessary, well-intentioned bills that come out of the legislative meat grinder rewritten and watered down. Those very often are the “success” stories. O’Neill’s effort simply collapsed.
But knowing the special education problem would only get worse, O’Neill kept at it. And now, his House Bill 2 (the companion Senate version is SB 470) needs only Gov. Corbett’s signature, which a spokesman for the governor says is likely.
The new law will establish a 15-member panel to direct money to those districts where it’s needed the most. Critical to the bill, according to O’Neill, is a requirement that each school district must compile a three-year average of the actual number of students requiring special ed services in each of three categories of disability, ranging from least- to most-intensive. “Students will now have to be counted for reimbursement purposes,” O’Neill said.
Makes such perfect sense.
A big reason the legislation cleared both chambers by unanimous vote was because it was unencumbered by the kinds of other objectives and agendas that doomed O’Neill’s bill last year.
O’Neill credits Republicans and Democrats in both houses for keeping his measure “clean” this time around. But he himself deserves a lion’s share of the credit for sticking with the legislation, and ultimately helping to ensure students with special needs get the help and support they deserve.
But knowing the special education problem would only get worse, O’Neill kept at it. And now, his House Bill 2 (the companion Senate version is SB 470) needs only Gov. Corbett’s signature, which a spokesman for the governor says is likely.
The new law will establish a 15-member panel to direct money to those districts where it’s needed the most. Critical to the bill, according to O’Neill, is a requirement that each school district must compile a three-year average of the actual number of students requiring special ed services in each of three categories of disability, ranging from least- to most-intensive. “Students will now have to be counted for reimbursement purposes,” O’Neill said.
Makes such perfect sense.
A big reason the legislation cleared both chambers by unanimous vote was because it was unencumbered by the kinds of other objectives and agendas that doomed O’Neill’s bill last year.
O’Neill credits Republicans and Democrats in both houses for keeping his measure “clean” this time around. But he himself deserves a lion’s share of the credit for sticking with the legislation, and ultimately helping to ensure students with special needs get the help and support they deserve.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Belated Battle
Belated battle
Posted: Thursday, April 25, 2013 5:00 am | Updated: 6:47 am, Thu Apr 25, 2013.
Posted: Thursday, April 25, 2013 5:00 am | Updated: 6:47 am, Thu Apr 25, 2013.
When something is in your way, you move it. Right? Or try to. You don’t wait — not if you want to get things done or simply get to where you’re going.And so we’re mystified by Morrisville Mayor Rita Ledger who says other borough officials — both elected and appointed — have stood in the way of her doing the job she was elected to do. She says they’ve denied her access to public records, entree to the police department (which the mayor directly oversees), and also executive sessions of council. What’s more, she said the mayor’s office was re-purposed, leaving her without access to a telephone, fax machine or a computer. She says she has to work in the hallways.
This isn’t a new situation. Ledger was elected in 2009 as the borough’s first woman mayor. Nor was it unexpected. Ledger told reporters on the day she was sworn in: “I realize I am a marked woman because I am the first woman mayor.”
Yet, for more than three years Ledger went about her business or tried to without, apparently, taking formal action to get the keys to the city — to which she is entitled.
Finally, last month a lawyer representing Ledger sent a letter to the borough outlining Ledger’s grievances and requesting a meeting with borough officials to discuss Ledger’s concerns. Attached to the letter was a draft of a lawsuit destined for Bucks County Court in which Ledger’s complaints are detailed, including a charge of “sex discrimination” that has caused her “distress.” If filed, the suit would seek more than $100,000 in damages.
If Ledger’s gripes are accurate, including a charge that she’s been “berated” for trying to fulfill her oversight duties with the police department, she has indeed been mistreated. In addition to her own set of keys, a functioning office and officials’ full compliance with the borough code, she should get an apology. A sincere, meaningful and formal apology.
What she shouldn’t get, and we implore her to abandon, is a financial settlement. Fact is, Ledger is not seeking re-election. She has eight months left in her term. A new mayor will be in place come January. Good luck!
We just don’t get the point of the suit — if it’s filed. Ledger is leaving office and so whatever change the suit might produce will not greatly impact her — unless the outgoing mayor gets a going away present in the form of a $100,000 court award.
We don’t believe that an earnest public servant dedicated to advancing her community and with the best interests of citizens in mind, would be party to action that would disrupt borough business and have negative financial impact on taxpayers. We hope the mayor feels the same way. We also hope officials will sit down with the mayor and work out an agreement.
In other words, they’re not letting her be mayor.
Yet, for more than three years Ledger went about her business or tried to without, apparently, taking formal action to get the keys to the city — to which she is entitled.
Finally, last month a lawyer representing Ledger sent a letter to the borough outlining Ledger’s grievances and requesting a meeting with borough officials to discuss Ledger’s concerns. Attached to the letter was a draft of a lawsuit destined for Bucks County Court in which Ledger’s complaints are detailed, including a charge of “sex discrimination” that has caused her “distress.” If filed, the suit would seek more than $100,000 in damages.
If Ledger’s gripes are accurate, including a charge that she’s been “berated” for trying to fulfill her oversight duties with the police department, she has indeed been mistreated. In addition to her own set of keys, a functioning office and officials’ full compliance with the borough code, she should get an apology. A sincere, meaningful and formal apology.
What she shouldn’t get, and we implore her to abandon, is a financial settlement. Fact is, Ledger is not seeking re-election. She has eight months left in her term. A new mayor will be in place come January. Good luck!
We just don’t get the point of the suit — if it’s filed. Ledger is leaving office and so whatever change the suit might produce will not greatly impact her — unless the outgoing mayor gets a going away present in the form of a $100,000 court award.
We don’t believe that an earnest public servant dedicated to advancing her community and with the best interests of citizens in mind, would be party to action that would disrupt borough business and have negative financial impact on taxpayers. We hope the mayor feels the same way. We also hope officials will sit down with the mayor and work out an agreement.
Morrisville OKs Support Contract (MESPA)
Morrisville OKs support contract
Posted: Thursday, April 25, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 5:43 am, Thu Apr 25, 2013.
After working without a contract for two years, the custodial, secretarial and maintenance staff at Morrisville School District will finally have financial stability.The school board voted unanimously at Wednesday’s agenda meeting to approve a four-year contract with the Morrisville Educational Support Personnel Association. The contract calls for an approximate 3 percent pay hike and a modest benefit increase, business manager Paul DeAngelo said after the meeting. The deal was ratified last month by MESPA, he said.
The contract also calls for an early incentive retirement plan, which will pay members a lump sum of $12,500 in two separate payments in July and January, said DeAngelo after the meeting. Five members of the group opted for the earlier retirement, he said.
Although negotiations were somewhat rocky, changes to the contract were minimal, Stoneburner said. The agreement between the district and support staff works for both sides and gives the staff more stability, he said.
“(The support staff) does have an excellent job of keeping the district up and running,” Superintendent William Ferrara said. “They are a dedicated group of people.”
In 2011, the board had considered outsourcing when preliminary estimates had the district facing a deficit of more than $2 million for the 2011-12 school year. However, with the deal reached Wednesday ensures the district will now have each union under contract through the year 2014, Stoneburner said after the meeting.
“Once again Morrisville School District comes through and resolves their contract issues without having it becoming a circus,” Ferrara said.
The 13-member group had been working under an agreed pay freeze due to the tough economy, board member David Stoneburner said after the meeting. The new contract will run through the 2014-2015 school year and will encompass the two years the staff had been working without a deal.
Although negotiations were somewhat rocky, changes to the contract were minimal, Stoneburner said. The agreement between the district and support staff works for both sides and gives the staff more stability, he said.
“(The support staff) does have an excellent job of keeping the district up and running,” Superintendent William Ferrara said. “They are a dedicated group of people.”
In 2011, the board had considered outsourcing when preliminary estimates had the district facing a deficit of more than $2 million for the 2011-12 school year. However, with the deal reached Wednesday ensures the district will now have each union under contract through the year 2014, Stoneburner said after the meeting.
“Once again Morrisville School District comes through and resolves their contract issues without having it becoming a circus,” Ferrara said.
Morrisville Wins Bronze Medal
Council Rock High School North rates among best in state...
Morrisville Wins Bronze Medal
Posted: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 9:00 am | Updated: 5:31 pm, Wed Apr 24, 2013.
Council Rock High School North in Newtown Township and Lower Moreland High School lead a list of high schools in Bucks and Montgomery counties ranked among the top 50 in Pennsylvania by U.S. News and World Report.
Council Rock North finished 13th in the 2013 state rankings (610 nationally) and Lower Moreland ninth (478 nationally).All three Central Bucks high schools made the top 50 in the state. Central Bucks West was 26 (887 nationally), CB East 27 (905 nationally) and CB South 33 (1,071 nationally).
Others in the state top 50 from Montgomery County were Wissahickon at 24 (767 nationally), Upper Dublin at 28 (920 nationally), Plymouth-Whitemarsh at 31 (969 nationally) and North Penn at 46 (1,450 nationally).
According to the U.S. News and World Report website, the magazine analyzed 21,035 public high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia and ranked them both by state and how they stacked up nationwide. The rankings were a collaborative effort between the magazine and the Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research.
The rankings took into account many factors, including how well the schools served all their students — not just high achievers — state proficiency test scores and how well the schools prepared their students for college level work.
“We’re extremely proud of Council Rock North and its accomplishments,” said Council Rock Superintendent Mark Klein. “It’s a great school.”
Central Bucks Superintendent Rodney Green had similar thoughts about all three high schools in his district making the top 50 in the state.
“We are excited that our CB high schools were recognized for outstanding achievement in the U.S. News and World Report rankings,” Green said. “We have great students, great staff and great parents who work together to provide outstanding education to our students. We appreciate our community and the high expectations they have for our schools. We will continue to strive for success for all of our students.”
Morrisville High School and Harry S. Truman High School in Bristol Township were also recognized with a note next to both schools that they are “recognized nationally” and have been awarded bronze medals.
“U.S. News and World Report awarded gold, silver and bronze medals based on students’ performance on state exit exams and their mastery of college level material,” a note in the magazine’s rankings said.
To view the complete rankings, visit www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/pennsylvania/rankings.
Council Rock North finished 13th in the 2013 state rankings (610 nationally) and Lower Moreland ninth (478 nationally).All three Central Bucks high schools made the top 50 in the state. Central Bucks West was 26 (887 nationally), CB East 27 (905 nationally) and CB South 33 (1,071 nationally).
Others in the state top 50 from Montgomery County were Wissahickon at 24 (767 nationally), Upper Dublin at 28 (920 nationally), Plymouth-Whitemarsh at 31 (969 nationally) and North Penn at 46 (1,450 nationally).
According to the U.S. News and World Report website, the magazine analyzed 21,035 public high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia and ranked them both by state and how they stacked up nationwide. The rankings were a collaborative effort between the magazine and the Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research.
The rankings took into account many factors, including how well the schools served all their students — not just high achievers — state proficiency test scores and how well the schools prepared their students for college level work.
“We’re extremely proud of Council Rock North and its accomplishments,” said Council Rock Superintendent Mark Klein. “It’s a great school.”
Central Bucks Superintendent Rodney Green had similar thoughts about all three high schools in his district making the top 50 in the state.
“We are excited that our CB high schools were recognized for outstanding achievement in the U.S. News and World Report rankings,” Green said. “We have great students, great staff and great parents who work together to provide outstanding education to our students. We appreciate our community and the high expectations they have for our schools. We will continue to strive for success for all of our students.”
Morrisville High School and Harry S. Truman High School in Bristol Township were also recognized with a note next to both schools that they are “recognized nationally” and have been awarded bronze medals.
“U.S. News and World Report awarded gold, silver and bronze medals based on students’ performance on state exit exams and their mastery of college level material,” a note in the magazine’s rankings said.
To view the complete rankings, visit www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/pennsylvania/rankings.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Morrisville Mayor Files Complaint with Borough
Morrisville mayor files complaint with borough
Morrisville Mayor Rita Ledger
Posted: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 1:00 pm | Updated: 2:29 pm, Tue Apr 23, 2013.
Posted on April 23, 2013
Morrisville Mayor Rita Ledger claims she can't do her job because of obstacles set up by borough officials.She wants that to change. She had her lawyer file a complaint with the borough and asked officials to sit down and discuss her concerns.Instead of agreeing to a meeting, the borough last week forwarded the complaint to its insurance company, borough solicitor James Downey of Begley, Carlin, & Mandio said. He added that the company will investigate and respond to the claims.
Attached to the complaint letter sent March 26 was a draft of a civil lawsuit for Bucks County Court, detailing Ledger's claim.
“I think this (draft) paper should be a good jumping off place in our attempts to resolve Ms. Ledger’s issues,” attorney Martha Sperling from the Eastburn and Gray firm said in the letter. “I have laid out the general problems with the interference of her duties as a mayor.”
Ledger, elected in 2009 to a four-year term as the borough's first female mayor, claims in the draft that she has been denied access to public records, the police building and executive sessions, and has experienced sex discrimination, causing her distress.
“She has been berated when she tries to tell the police (department) what to do, being told that she is useless and that they ‘don’t need a mayor, they have mayors at home,’ ” the draft claims.
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching Sperling or Ledger for comment about the draft, which, if filed, would seek more than $100,000 in compensatory damages.
Named in the draft as would-be defendants are the borough, council members Nancy Sherlock, Victor Cicero, David Rivella, Fred Kerner, borough Manager Tom Bates, assistant borough manager Robert Seward, former police chief Jack Jones and acting police Chief Lt. Tom Heron.
The complaint states that Ledger has been “routinely denied access for the last three years to the police department of the Borough of Morrisville although she has final responsibility and authority over the borough’s chief of police and police force.”
Like other Pennsylvania boroughs, Morrisville has a weak mayor's office. But among its duties is the supervision of the police department. The mayor also can administer oaths and affirmations, declare states of emergency, break tie votes on the borough council and veto council legislation.
Ledger claims she has requested and been denied keys to the police department by the borough administration. Additionally, she alleges that the designated mayor’s office has been re-purposed and she has been denied office rights, along “with access to a telephone, fax machine and computer,” leaving her to conduct her duties in the hallways of borough hall.
Ledger, who is not seeking re-election this year, also is claiming that the administration has “forbidden” her to take home documents concerning the borough’s budget and has “routinely refused to allow the mayor access to documents, which she needs to do her job. The mayor should be permitted to have unfettered access to the police department files and has been denied all access to those files. Her ability to make informed decisions has been compromised,” reads in the complaint.
Morrisville officials have said that under the borough code, mayors are given a $4,000 yearly allowance for legal services, so Ledger can use that to pursue her complaint against the borough.
Ledger, a Democrat and former councilwoman, was sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2010.
At the time, she foresaw trouble ahead.
She told supporters that although she looked forward to serving Morrisville, "I realize I am a marked woman because I am the first woman mayor."
Ledger had lost her party's nomination in the primary election in May 2009 to fellow Democrat Patricia A. Schell. But with dozens of write-in ballots by Republican voters, Ledger appeared on the November ballot under the GOP ticket.
Ledger then bested Schell by more than 200 votes and replaced Thomas Wisnosky as mayor. Wisnosky served as mayor for eight years but didn't seek re-election.
Ledger served as a Ward 1 councilwoman for four years. Before that, she sat on the Morrisville Zoning Hearing Board.
Attached to the complaint letter sent March 26 was a draft of a civil lawsuit for Bucks County Court, detailing Ledger's claim.
“I think this (draft) paper should be a good jumping off place in our attempts to resolve Ms. Ledger’s issues,” attorney Martha Sperling from the Eastburn and Gray firm said in the letter. “I have laid out the general problems with the interference of her duties as a mayor.”
Ledger, elected in 2009 to a four-year term as the borough's first female mayor, claims in the draft that she has been denied access to public records, the police building and executive sessions, and has experienced sex discrimination, causing her distress.
“She has been berated when she tries to tell the police (department) what to do, being told that she is useless and that they ‘don’t need a mayor, they have mayors at home,’ ” the draft claims.
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching Sperling or Ledger for comment about the draft, which, if filed, would seek more than $100,000 in compensatory damages.
Named in the draft as would-be defendants are the borough, council members Nancy Sherlock, Victor Cicero, David Rivella, Fred Kerner, borough Manager Tom Bates, assistant borough manager Robert Seward, former police chief Jack Jones and acting police Chief Lt. Tom Heron.
The complaint states that Ledger has been “routinely denied access for the last three years to the police department of the Borough of Morrisville although she has final responsibility and authority over the borough’s chief of police and police force.”
Like other Pennsylvania boroughs, Morrisville has a weak mayor's office. But among its duties is the supervision of the police department. The mayor also can administer oaths and affirmations, declare states of emergency, break tie votes on the borough council and veto council legislation.
Ledger claims she has requested and been denied keys to the police department by the borough administration. Additionally, she alleges that the designated mayor’s office has been re-purposed and she has been denied office rights, along “with access to a telephone, fax machine and computer,” leaving her to conduct her duties in the hallways of borough hall.
Ledger, who is not seeking re-election this year, also is claiming that the administration has “forbidden” her to take home documents concerning the borough’s budget and has “routinely refused to allow the mayor access to documents, which she needs to do her job. The mayor should be permitted to have unfettered access to the police department files and has been denied all access to those files. Her ability to make informed decisions has been compromised,” reads in the complaint.
Morrisville officials have said that under the borough code, mayors are given a $4,000 yearly allowance for legal services, so Ledger can use that to pursue her complaint against the borough.
Ledger, a Democrat and former councilwoman, was sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2010.
At the time, she foresaw trouble ahead.
She told supporters that although she looked forward to serving Morrisville, "I realize I am a marked woman because I am the first woman mayor."
Ledger had lost her party's nomination in the primary election in May 2009 to fellow Democrat Patricia A. Schell. But with dozens of write-in ballots by Republican voters, Ledger appeared on the November ballot under the GOP ticket.
Ledger then bested Schell by more than 200 votes and replaced Thomas Wisnosky as mayor. Wisnosky served as mayor for eight years but didn't seek re-election.
Ledger served as a Ward 1 councilwoman for four years. Before that, she sat on the Morrisville Zoning Hearing Board.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Morrisville Will Take On $1.2 Million In Borough Improvements
Morrisville will take on $1.2 million in borough improvements
Posted: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 5:40 pm | Updated: 6:41 pm, Tue Apr 16, 2013.
Posted on April 16, 2013
Morrisville will undergo a much needed revamp, after the majority of the borough council voted on a $1.2 million loan to cover the cost of the improvements.
The loan from Green Campus Partners will have a 2.47 percent interest rate for 15 years. And the borough could pay off the loan in full after the fifth year.
At the March meeting, the council turned down a promise of a 15- to 17-year loan from TD Bank totaling $1.4 million. The interest rate on the loan would have been 2.46 percent, with an option to negotiate the rate during the 16th or 17th year; or pay off the entire loan at the end of the 15th year, but no sooner, without penalties.
Taxpayers won’t have to pay a dime directly toward the loan, officials said. The improvements are expected to save the borough $2 million in utility and operating costs. Those savings would pay for the loan. And the remainder would go to the borough’s savings ideally, Bates added.
Not everyone on the council agreed with the project’s financing.
The vote for the loan was 5-3, with council members Eileen Dreisbach, Todd Sanford and Debbie Smith voting against it.
“I wasn’t going to vote for a financial packet that, like it was said last month, would tie other people’s hands for 17 years. I can’t see it’s going to pay for itself. I don’t see any guarantee of that. I’m afraid that eventually it is going to start costing the borough money,” Dreisbach said after the meeting.
Before the vote, Smith said other projects such as road improvements need to be completed in the borough but there’s no money for them.
Bates said the borough could start putting aside money for such projects through the savings of other budget line items. He also said that the 1 mill in taxation for road improvements that was removed from the budget can be put back in.
For nearly a year, Morrisville officials worked with consulting firm Johnson Controls on plans for the improvements such as lighting at the library and public works facility, streetlights and traffic lights, as well as the first upgrades to borough hall since it was built in 1948.
A bank loan was needed, considering the borough had already agreed to the project, with the condition of having a viable loan. Morrisville had signed a contract with Johnson Controls, which has contacted contractors, who have reached out to suppliers already.
Now that the loan is in order, the planned projects can go forward.
The borough’s 632 streetlights will be converted to cost-saving LED lamps. Lighting upgrades will be made to the interior and exterior of borough hall. A boiler will be converted to natural gas, and new heating and air-conditioning systems will be replaced.
Additionally, windows and doors will be replaced in borough hall, as well as new insulation put in the upstairs council chamber.
Bates warned the council that, without improvements, repairs would be costly if the boiler and air-conditioning system break down.
The loan from Green Campus Partners will have a 2.47 percent interest rate for 15 years. And the borough could pay off the loan in full after the fifth year.
The majority of the council said this was the best deal from the nine loan proposals that borough Manager Tom Bates gathered over the last two months.
Taxpayers won’t have to pay a dime directly toward the loan, officials said. The improvements are expected to save the borough $2 million in utility and operating costs. Those savings would pay for the loan. And the remainder would go to the borough’s savings ideally, Bates added.
Not everyone on the council agreed with the project’s financing.
The vote for the loan was 5-3, with council members Eileen Dreisbach, Todd Sanford and Debbie Smith voting against it.
“I wasn’t going to vote for a financial packet that, like it was said last month, would tie other people’s hands for 17 years. I can’t see it’s going to pay for itself. I don’t see any guarantee of that. I’m afraid that eventually it is going to start costing the borough money,” Dreisbach said after the meeting.
Before the vote, Smith said other projects such as road improvements need to be completed in the borough but there’s no money for them.
Bates said the borough could start putting aside money for such projects through the savings of other budget line items. He also said that the 1 mill in taxation for road improvements that was removed from the budget can be put back in.
For nearly a year, Morrisville officials worked with consulting firm Johnson Controls on plans for the improvements such as lighting at the library and public works facility, streetlights and traffic lights, as well as the first upgrades to borough hall since it was built in 1948.
A bank loan was needed, considering the borough had already agreed to the project, with the condition of having a viable loan. Morrisville had signed a contract with Johnson Controls, which has contacted contractors, who have reached out to suppliers already.
Now that the loan is in order, the planned projects can go forward.
The borough’s 632 streetlights will be converted to cost-saving LED lamps. Lighting upgrades will be made to the interior and exterior of borough hall. A boiler will be converted to natural gas, and new heating and air-conditioning systems will be replaced.
Additionally, windows and doors will be replaced in borough hall, as well as new insulation put in the upstairs council chamber.
Bates warned the council that, without improvements, repairs would be costly if the boiler and air-conditioning system break down.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Merger Benefits Go Both Ways
Merger benefits go both ways
Posted: Monday, April 15, 2013 6:00 am
With regard to recent discussion of a merger between the school districts of Morrisville and Pennsbury: While on the surface many in Pennsbury have said they oppose a merger, I think it may be more beneficial than it would appear.Morrisville Borough relies on a real estate tax base that is made up of 85 percent residential properties. While this was adequate to fund a school system years ago, the reality is that small districts like this cannot support the level of education that is typical of suburban communities. Morrisville offers no AP courses, has limited electives, and even more limited resources. Education is not to the same standards as it is in Pennsbury despite what many may try to argue and a merger would help these children and improve the quality of education they receive now.
The immediate economic impact on the borough would be an increase in property values. The reduction in property tax burden would create an economic stimulus in Morrisville and result in more homeowners staying and not renting out these properties. More of the downtown will have diversified businesses and not the tobacco road it is now. A more stable community would be established and those who are currently living there would see resurgence in the community.
Bristol Borough has undergone a drastic change from where it was only 15 years ago. A change in philosophy and the assistance of a large tax ratable such as Dow Chemical have allowed Bristol Borough to thrive. Morrisville needs the same sort of shift.
A school merger has many variables and I am not advocating a stance on any of them. If it results in a 1 or 2 mil property tax increase for Pennsbury, the benefits not seen on a spreadsheet would be worth it. So instead of being closed-minded about "those kids" coming to Pennsbury, we should realize that those kids will be the adults of tomorrow and we want them as well educated as we would want our own.
Mike Falkevitz
Falls
But most importantly we should look at more than dollars and cents when discussing any merger. As of now, Morrisville is sliding into a suburb of Trenton. If there is not significant change in the borough, this will continue and Morrisville will become "West Trenton." Property values will plummet and instead of Lower Makefield and Falls being isolated from Trenton, we will be living next to it.
Bristol Borough has undergone a drastic change from where it was only 15 years ago. A change in philosophy and the assistance of a large tax ratable such as Dow Chemical have allowed Bristol Borough to thrive. Morrisville needs the same sort of shift.
A school merger has many variables and I am not advocating a stance on any of them. If it results in a 1 or 2 mil property tax increase for Pennsbury, the benefits not seen on a spreadsheet would be worth it. So instead of being closed-minded about "those kids" coming to Pennsbury, we should realize that those kids will be the adults of tomorrow and we want them as well educated as we would want our own.
Mike Falkevitz
Falls
Friday, April 12, 2013
Petty, Backroom Politics Blamed for Holding up Morrisville Public Works Projects
MORRISVILLE
Petty, backroom politics blamed for holding up Morrisville public works projects
Petty, backroom politics blamed for holding up Morrisville public works projects
Posted: Friday, April 12, 2013 9:30 am | Updated: 5:14 pm, Fri Apr 12, 2013.
Posted on April 12, 2013
Morrisville residents were oh, so close to having $1.4 million worth of public works improvements started in their community.Petty politics got in the way, though, one official said. Another believes backroom dealing might be going on.
A loan proposed by TD Bank was voted down last month.
Borough Manager Tom Bates said a bickering council is the reason.
“If you want to fight among yourselves all the time, that’s what council does here,” Bates told the council last month. “All you do is three no votes, five yes votes. And now somebody is mad at another council person and they are going to vote no. If that’s what you want to do, hurt the people of Morrisville, God bless you. God bless the people of Morrisville.”
Councilman Victor Cicero, who has been in favor of the project all along, voted against the loan proposal, creating a 4-4 tie, which was broken by Mayor Rita Ledger, a Democrat not seeking re-election. She said the loan terms would have “tied the hands of future councils.”
Cicero said nothing more than the years of the loan was behind his vote. He said paying a loan for 15 to 17 years is too long in his “personal opinion.”
“I didn’t agree with the structure of the loan,” Cicero, a Democrat, recently said. “I’m not against the project. I think it’s a positive move for the borough.”
Rivella, a Democrat running for mayor, on Wednesday said there’s more to Cicero’s no vote than he’s admitting. Rivella said that he believes political backroom deals are being made involving the upcoming election to the detriment of Morrisville residents.
“I don’t want any part of it,” he said Wednesday. “I’m disgusted by it all.”
Bates and Rivella still hope the project can move forward if the council thinks about the residents and approves a loan this month. Bates expects to have two more offers from banks at the next council meeting on Monday.
“We’ll see what Tom has for us,” Rivella said of the manager. “Maybe we’ll be able to resolve this issue once and for all.”
For nearly a year, Morrisville officials worked with consulting firm Johnson Controls on plans for environmental improvements such as lighting at the library and public works facility, streetlights and traffic lights, as well as the first upgrades to borough hall since it was built in 1948.
In recent weeks, Bates received a promise of a bank loan from TD Bank to pay for the $1.4 million project. The interest rate on the loan would have been 2.46 percent, and there was an option to negotiate the rate during the 16th or 17th year; or pay off the entire loan at the end of the 15th year, but no sooner, without penalties. The total loan estimate included fees.
Bates said if the project goes through, taxpayers won’t have to pay a dime directly toward the loan.
The improvements would bring in $2 million in utilities and operating cost savings to the borough, he said. Those savings would pay for the loan. And the remainder would go to the borough’s savings accounts ideally, he added.
Bates obtained four bank loan estimates, but only needed the one, he said.
“All the other banks told me this is the best rate,” Bates said.
The council voted down the TD Bank proposal late last month, though.
A bank loan is needed at this point, considering the borough has already agreed to the project, with the condition of having a viable loan. The borough had that with the TD Bank proposal, Bates said, but that deal won’t be valid when the council meets next.
At that time, Bates warned the council that Morrisville had signed a contract with Johnson Controls, which has contacted contractors, who have reached out to suppliers already. Contractors and suppliers would be in their legal rights to sue the borough for breach of contract, he added. Borough solicitor James A. Downey III agreed.
If one of the two other loan offers aren’t approved, the planned projects can’t go forward.
That would mean no upgrades to the borough’s 632 streetlights by converting them to cost-saving LED lamps, Bates said. It also would mean lighting upgrades won’t be made to the interior and exterior at borough hall. A boiler won’t be converted to natural gas, and new heating and air-conditioning system plans would be axed.
Additionally, windows and doors won’t be replaced in borough hall, or new insulation put in the upstairs council chamber, without the loan money.
Bates has warned the council that, without improvements, repairs will be costly if the boiler and air-conditioning system break down.
If the borough is sued for breach of contract, tax rates might go up to cover legal expenses, he said.
“Don’t blame me. I tried to help you. I tried to make this town nice,” he’s told council. “Your air conditioning sucks. It’s terrible. It doesn’t even work.”
If all that is put aside, the project can still be saved if the borough council approves a bank loan to cover the costs.
Borough Manager Tom Bates said a bickering council is the reason.
“If you want to fight among yourselves all the time, that’s what council does here,” Bates told the council last month. “All you do is three no votes, five yes votes. And now somebody is mad at another council person and they are going to vote no. If that’s what you want to do, hurt the people of Morrisville, God bless you. God bless the people of Morrisville.”
Councilman Victor Cicero, who has been in favor of the project all along, voted against the loan proposal, creating a 4-4 tie, which was broken by Mayor Rita Ledger, a Democrat not seeking re-election. She said the loan terms would have “tied the hands of future councils.”
Cicero said nothing more than the years of the loan was behind his vote. He said paying a loan for 15 to 17 years is too long in his “personal opinion.”
“I didn’t agree with the structure of the loan,” Cicero, a Democrat, recently said. “I’m not against the project. I think it’s a positive move for the borough.”
Rivella, a Democrat running for mayor, on Wednesday said there’s more to Cicero’s no vote than he’s admitting. Rivella said that he believes political backroom deals are being made involving the upcoming election to the detriment of Morrisville residents.
“I don’t want any part of it,” he said Wednesday. “I’m disgusted by it all.”
Bates and Rivella still hope the project can move forward if the council thinks about the residents and approves a loan this month. Bates expects to have two more offers from banks at the next council meeting on Monday.
“We’ll see what Tom has for us,” Rivella said of the manager. “Maybe we’ll be able to resolve this issue once and for all.”
For nearly a year, Morrisville officials worked with consulting firm Johnson Controls on plans for environmental improvements such as lighting at the library and public works facility, streetlights and traffic lights, as well as the first upgrades to borough hall since it was built in 1948.
In recent weeks, Bates received a promise of a bank loan from TD Bank to pay for the $1.4 million project. The interest rate on the loan would have been 2.46 percent, and there was an option to negotiate the rate during the 16th or 17th year; or pay off the entire loan at the end of the 15th year, but no sooner, without penalties. The total loan estimate included fees.
Bates said if the project goes through, taxpayers won’t have to pay a dime directly toward the loan.
The improvements would bring in $2 million in utilities and operating cost savings to the borough, he said. Those savings would pay for the loan. And the remainder would go to the borough’s savings accounts ideally, he added.
Bates obtained four bank loan estimates, but only needed the one, he said.
“All the other banks told me this is the best rate,” Bates said.
The council voted down the TD Bank proposal late last month, though.
A bank loan is needed at this point, considering the borough has already agreed to the project, with the condition of having a viable loan. The borough had that with the TD Bank proposal, Bates said, but that deal won’t be valid when the council meets next.
At that time, Bates warned the council that Morrisville had signed a contract with Johnson Controls, which has contacted contractors, who have reached out to suppliers already. Contractors and suppliers would be in their legal rights to sue the borough for breach of contract, he added. Borough solicitor James A. Downey III agreed.
If one of the two other loan offers aren’t approved, the planned projects can’t go forward.
That would mean no upgrades to the borough’s 632 streetlights by converting them to cost-saving LED lamps, Bates said. It also would mean lighting upgrades won’t be made to the interior and exterior at borough hall. A boiler won’t be converted to natural gas, and new heating and air-conditioning system plans would be axed.
Additionally, windows and doors won’t be replaced in borough hall, or new insulation put in the upstairs council chamber, without the loan money.
Bates has warned the council that, without improvements, repairs will be costly if the boiler and air-conditioning system break down.
If the borough is sued for breach of contract, tax rates might go up to cover legal expenses, he said.
“Don’t blame me. I tried to help you. I tried to make this town nice,” he’s told council. “Your air conditioning sucks. It’s terrible. It doesn’t even work.”
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Morrisville Borough Memorial Day Decorating Contest
Morrisville Borough Memorial Day Decorating Contest
Posted on April 9, 2013
Do you decorate for Memorial Day with bunting, banners and flags to honor the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces?Morrisville First is sponsoring a contest to find the most patriotically decorated yards in Morrisville Borough. One winner from each ward will be chosen as the best decorated yard for Memorial Day.Each winner will receive a $25 gift card including balloons and a winner’s yard sign.
Contest entry forms are available on www.MorrisvilleFirst.com, the Morrisville First Facebook page, and also at the Morrisville Library, Morrisville Borough Hall, Burn’s Pharmacy and Anthony’s IV Pizza & Pasta on Bridge Street. Entries must be received by May 20. Judging will take place on Sunday, May 26; winners will be notified by 6:00 p.m. the same day. Prizes will be awarded at the Morrisville First resident advisory council meeting on June 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Morrisville Senior Center.
Morrisville First is a resident driven non-profit community organization with goals to make Morrisville a better place to live. For more information about Morrisville First, visit the website at www.MorrisvilleFirst.com or “like” Morrisville First on Facebook
Contest entry forms are available on www.MorrisvilleFirst.com, the Morrisville First Facebook page, and also at the Morrisville Library, Morrisville Borough Hall, Burn’s Pharmacy and Anthony’s IV Pizza & Pasta on Bridge Street. Entries must be received by May 20. Judging will take place on Sunday, May 26; winners will be notified by 6:00 p.m. the same day. Prizes will be awarded at the Morrisville First resident advisory council meeting on June 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Morrisville Senior Center.
Morrisville First is a resident driven non-profit community organization with goals to make Morrisville a better place to live. For more information about Morrisville First, visit the website at www.MorrisvilleFirst.com or “like” Morrisville First on Facebook
Friday, April 5, 2013
Why Districts Should Merge
Why districts should merge
Posted: Friday, April 5, 2013 6:00 am
I am a current Morrisville homeowner who spent the first half of my education in Morrisville, and the second half in Pennsbury. After experiencing both educational institutions firsthand, I am writing this letter as a plea to both districts to move forward with a merger.I enjoyed a great education at M.R. Reiter Elementary School, with some terrific teachers. However, when I entered Morrisville High School in sixth grade an entirely different world was opened to me, one where 17-year-olds lurked the same hallways that I did, with much more world knowledge than I needed to be informed about at such a young age. My parents watched as an outgoing, happy child turned into a sad, introverted pre-teen. They did what they knew was best for me, and moved out of Morrisville once my mother's efforts to encourage the community to ask for a merger with Pennsbury failed.
Morrisville has always been a great place for young couples to buy a starter home at a reasonable price; however, today those couples are selling their homes every five-10 years because they are unhappy with the situation at Morrisville High School. It has subsequently turned the town into an aging one, with an uncertain future as many of the older generation who believed so strongly in the small-town education are dying and leaving homes that their children must sell cheaply due to the district's undesirable reputation.
If the two school districts merged, suddenly real estate in Morrisville would be ideal, and young couples would flock to town to own one of the many historic, beautiful homes that would now be in the same school district as Yardley but with a much cheaper price tag. We need to stop making Morrisville a revolving door for young couples, and turn it back into a town where families are able to begin, grow and continue on to see their children and grandchildren also grow up.
For Morrisville, this merger is everything this town needs to become what it once was. To Pennsbury, I ask you to help your lifelong neighbor, and think of how the two towns as a united front can only benefit the property values of all homes in the 19067 zip code.
Candace (Braun) Zafirellis
Morrisville
As a Pennsbury student I excelled, and I have no regrets about the move my parents made for me, only that I had wished we could have kept our Morrisville home in the small town neighborhood that I grew to love, while still enabling me to attend Pennsbury schools.
If the two school districts merged, suddenly real estate in Morrisville would be ideal, and young couples would flock to town to own one of the many historic, beautiful homes that would now be in the same school district as Yardley but with a much cheaper price tag. We need to stop making Morrisville a revolving door for young couples, and turn it back into a town where families are able to begin, grow and continue on to see their children and grandchildren also grow up.
For Morrisville, this merger is everything this town needs to become what it once was. To Pennsbury, I ask you to help your lifelong neighbor, and think of how the two towns as a united front can only benefit the property values of all homes in the 19067 zip code.
Candace (Braun) Zafirellis
Morrisville
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