Council voted unanimously to send Mayor Anthony Court to a four-day Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs (PSAB) conference in Hershey but denied a request by councilwoman Judith Dici to attend that same conference.
Council approved funds totaling $942.67 plus food and mileage for Court. In a 4-3 vote Dici was denied the request for funding with Council President George Celli, Vice President James Barry, Councilman Caleb Cragle, and Councilwoman Michelle Lamenza voting “No.”
Cragle said he researched four years of council minutes, mileage, and cost of meals and estimated the cost of the mayor and Dici’s attendance at the twice-a-year conferences at $20,000. Cragle said council has a responsibility to be fiscally responsible, and questions whether sending two attendees twice yearly is necessary.
Dici said she would be shocked if the expenses added up to that amount and insisted that her attendance at the conferences is just as important as the mayors. She said the mayor attends workshops aimed at mayoral issues and she attends workshops aimed at council issues including blight–a newly formed committee to which Dici has been tasked. She also corrected the amount requested because she shares a room with a councilwoman from Koppel, which brings the lodging portion of the expense down by about $300. She also pointed out that she carpools with Court to the event.
Dici is scheduled to chair two meetings at the conference as she was sworn in as president of the PSAB in 2019.
Barry also questioned the need for Dici to attend and asked her exactly what she brings back from the conference.
Dici replied saying she feels the conference offers a wealth of information regarding numerous borough issues in which strategies and ideas are offered for. She also said the knowledge gained from the networking with other boroughs is vital and essential to helping Ellwood move forward.
Although she said she typically doesn’t support the efforts of lobbying groups, Councilwoman Lisa Guerrera, said that because she was added to the blight committee along with Dici and Councilman Rob Brough, she would support Dici’s attendance at the conference. She added that if fiscal responsibility is a concern then the mayor should not attend the conference either.
Brough said he would also support Dici’s attendance and that he feels it will reflect poorly on Ellwood City if Dici doesn’t attend on behalf of the city.
This had zero to do with “fiscal responsibility” and everything to do with political game-playing bullshit. Councilman Cragle inflated the cost by 10,000 dollars. It strikes me as odd that Barry, Celli and Lamenza suddenly have an issue with the cost when they have approved it literally every year they have been on Council. What changed? Besides George Celli sitting in the President’s chair that is……