Thursday, July 10, 2008

I Repeat I Am HereTO Stay

I Repeat, I Am Here to Stay 7-10-08

I have bought a cemetery plot at Hope Cemetery and the tombstone reads Mayor of Kutztown 2002-2005. I love the personal remarks directed at me that have no substance or credibility, especially the one that ends up with go away. Go away the way Borough Manager\Treasurers Keith Hill and Jaymes Vettraino did after they falsely puffed up their resumes’. Or run away like Council Members Eric Ely, Jan crooker, Carl Mantz and John Schmoyer. Councilmen Archie Follweiler and Brendan Strasser spoke the truth about Hometown Utilicom, which loses about $1 million a year, and their names will never be mentioned in the Borough again.

About State Officials not answering my letters ask Borough Manager\Treasurer Gabriel Khalife and Assistant Treasurer Russell Samilo if any of my letters were answered. In fact ask Mayor Green, the Borough Council, the Borough Solicitors Mooney and Dietrich and Borough Auditors Long and Barrell if they have seen any inquiries from the Governor’s Office, Senator O’Pake’s Office or the Auditor General’s Office.

My anonymous detractors and the one with a name should tell the public when the 2006 and 2007 Budgets and Audits will be available at the Borough Hall. And Hometown Utilicom does not lose about $1 million a year. You can also show the local taxpayers that the Budget is not falsified and the Borough does not publish fraudulent reports on HU. You can also tell the Kutztown residents where the $1.3 million loan and the Business Plan for Hometown Utilicom is.

Remember I will stop asking questions and shut down my website, www.marinoreport.com, when all of the Borough’s financial books and records are made public at the Borough Hall as per the Borough Code.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

to All Anonymous Commentators, Thank you

To All Anonymous Commentators, thank you.

A message from anonymous asks if I received free cable service from Service Electric when I was the Mayor. I have never received any free service from any one ever. Because I care for the Borough I did not take the salary of the Mayor for my first year in office. The fact is I donated my salary of $3,325 to the Borough. That could have paid for 9 years of cable service from Hometown Utilicom or Service Electric. My donation is the best kept secret in the borough because it is an embarrassment to Borough Officials who spend borough funds recklessly and irresponsibly. After one year I decided to take the salary when I saw the Borough Council allow Councilman John Schmoyer create a position of Recreation Director, apply for the position, resign as Councilman and appointed to the position unanimously. Then ex-Mayor James Schwoyer was appointed to fill his position as Councilman. This entire procedure took about 12 minutes at a Borough Council Meeting and Mr. Schmoyer’s salary went from $2,500 a year to $6,000. Then Borough Manager\Treasurer Keith Hill resigned because of the hostile environment at the borough. The Borough Council begged him to stay on for another 2 weeks which he did for $12,000. After leaving the Borough he returned to his desk at the Borough Hall as an employee of Spotts, Stevens and McCoy at $84 an hour. SS&M is the Borough’s Engineering firm and Keith Hill had previously reviewed all of their contracts and approved all of their payments. At $84 an hour the hostile environment disappeared.

Some other reasons were the Borough Solicitor received about $120,000 for the year, the Budget was falsified, reports were fraudulent and the Borough was illegally funding Telecom.

You all pretend to be very well informed about Borough Business, but I do not see any disagreement with my comments, accusations, facts and figures. All of your personal comments are part of a scheme to take the attention away from the Borough not making all financial reports public.

All of my letters and notes have my name attached to them because they are all true and I stand behind them. I walk around the Borough and I make myself available to any one who would like to speak to me.

All you No Names, the Mayor, the Borough Council, the Borough Solicitor, the Borough Auditors and some Borough employees are not available to the public because some one may ask you about the Borough’s finances and legislation and you do not have any answers. One reason is you do not know and the other reason is you do not have the courage. The more you put me down with no facts the more credibility I have and the happier I am. You also see no taxpayers at the Council Meetings and the meetings only last for about 30 minutes with no discussions before the voting. This means you stand alone along with the other pretenders and every one in the Borough knows the meetings have no credibility.

Where is the $1.3 million loan for Telecom and where is the Telecom Business Plan? Don’t forget all my letters will stop and my website will shut down when you have the Borough make all our financial records public as per the Borough Code. It is as simple as that and it should be very easy for you the No Names of the Borough to get the books open. Thanks again.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Response to Detractors

Response to Detractors
In the past my detractors attended all Borough Council Meetings and approved of all of the actions of the Council. These detractors are all friendly with the Mayor and Council members and yet they question my comments and accusations. I suggest my detractors ask Mayor Green, Council members, Borough Manager\Treasurer Khalife, assistant Treasurer Samilo, Borough Solicitors Mooney and Dietrich and Auditors Long and Barrell if my letters and comments are true. At this point in time I know all my statements have merit and must be true because not one Borough Official, or in fact any one, has replied to them in any way.

The only negative comments I usually receive are from anonymous but the latest negative comment comes with a name. He asks if the Borough is so good at hiding Borough Finances how do I know that Telecom is losing money. I can tell by the following:
1) My Real Estate Tax went from $120 a year to $260 a year.
2) My electric rate is double that of the surrounding areas.
3) My water and sewer rate has more than doubled in the past 6 years.
4) The Borough Council recently voted to borrow $1.3 million to finance Telecom.
5) The Audit Report in the Kutztonian states that the internal Borough is about $13 million but neglects to state that the internal debt is about $16.3 million which makes the total Borough debt $29.3 million.
6) In desperation for funds the Borough illegally bid to sell telecommunication services to Kutztown University even though Telecom Director Frank Caruso stated the Borough can not provide the services.
7) Rather than float bonds to borrow the $1.3 million for Telecom the Borough took a Bank Loan because I think the Borough no longer has a Triple A rating.
8) Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino suddenly resigned to be near his family and a very respected Borough Resident has stated that Telecom has created a house divided.
9) The Borough has no Sinking Funds or any funds in reserve.

It does not take a financial genius to determine that Telecom is losing money and the Borough is broke. Jaymes Vettraino with the votes of the Borough Council raised every service the Borough provides and resigned. In appreciation the Borough gave him a going away dinner. I don’t forget the Borough also gave Keith Hill a going away dinner.

If any one, especially my detractors, can get a copy of the Audit and the Budget I will gladly review them with you and prove all my statements and accusations are true.
Sincerely,


Gennaro A. Marino P.E.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Letter to State Officials

June 20, 2008
Gennaro A. Marino P.E.
409 W. Main St.
Kutztown, Pa 19530
e-mail kmayor@ptd.net 610-683-7977
website www.marinoreport.com
Mailed to:
Governor Rendell
Attorney General Corbett
Auditor General Wagner
State Senator O’Pake
State Representative Mantz on Saturday June 21, 2008



On Friday June 20, 2008 at 1:28 pm I went to the Kutztown Borough Hall and asked to see the Budgets and Audits as per the attached note dated June 20, 2008. I was told by the 2 secretaries at the desk that they did not have any of them. I asked to see someone in charge and they told me the Borough Manager was out of his office and the girl in charge of the records was on vacation. I quoted the Borough Code as per my attached letters and they said they knew nothing about the requested documents. The attached letters quoting the Borough Code were hand delivered to the Borough June 13, 2008. Two days ago Councilman Kevin Snyder told me to go to the Borough Hall and I will be able see the Budget and Audit. Even though there has been no budget or audit available for more than a year he stated there is no reason for the borough to withhold the information when he knows the borough is hiding the fact that Telecom loses about $1 million a year, Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino has resigned and left the state and a Borough Councilman has retired because of the desperate state of Telecom and the Borough’s finances.

As per Section 1113 of the Borough Code the requested documents should be available to any taxpayer at any reasonable time. The taxpayer does not have to speak to any Borough Official. The clerks or secretaries at the desk should have all the records and documents on hand to distribute to the public.

This proves that there is a well planned and calculated scheme by the Mayor, the Borough Council, some Appointed Borough Employees, the Borough Solicitor and the Independent Auditor to hide the fact that funds are being illegally moved within the Borough to divert funds into Telecom. There has not been an internal audit in the borough for at least 14 years and the Borough does not employ an accountant or retain a CPA. The Borough Debt is about $28 million and does not have any reserve funds and the Borough population is about 5,000.

It is time for you to send a representative to look into the illegal and irregular movement of taxpayer money within the Borough. Thank you.


Sincerely,


Gennaro A. Marino P.E.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Message from Former Mayor Marino

Message from Former Mayor Marino

I am the FORMER MAYOR of Kutztown and I am happy to receive all comments on my website including those from anonymous. I will leave all of them on my website for all visitors to see. I would even be happier if anonymous challenged my statements rather than attack me personally.

For the record I visited the Borough Hall Friday, June 20, and today, June 23, and there are no financial books or records at the Borough Desk for taxpayers to see. This is a flagrant and arrogant violation of the Borough Code.

My letters are usually addressed to Mayor Green, the Borough Council, the Borough Manager, the Borough Solicitor, the Independent Auditor and some appointed Borough Employees and the only replies I have received are from Anonymous.

I noticed that there was only one resident at the last Borough Council Meeting and the meeting was over in 30 minutes. Why didn’t Anonymous go to the meeting and ask what is happening with the $1.3 million loan for Telecom? What is happening with the Telecom Business plan? What is happening with Automatic Meter Reading? What is happening with Wireless Internet? What is happening with combined utility billing? Why does Telecom lose about $1 million a year? All these questions and more should be answered by Information Technology Director Frank Caruso who heads Telecom.

Concerning electric rates Borough residents presently pay 20 cents a kilowatt. PPL customers currently pay 10 cents a kilowatt if PPL raises the rate 34% PPL customers will pay 13.4 cents a kilowatt which is 6.6 cents lower than Kutztown’s rate. The PPL rate increase will take place in 2010 and by that time the Borough will increase our rates at least 2 more times. Jerry

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Borough Code Audit Requirement Letter to Council

June 13, 2008
Friday the 13th
Gennaro A. Marino P.E.
e- mail kmayor@ptd.net 610-683-7977
Kutztown Borough Council
Borough Manager
Assistant Treasurer Samilo
Borough Solicitors Mooney & Dietrich
Long & Barrell Accountants
Attention Please!
Attached please find a copy of an e-mail I received from Karen O’Neil, Government Specialist of the Department of Community and Economic Development. It quotes the Borough Code sections pertaining to the stringent requirements of the Mandatory Annual Audit by the Independent Auditor.
It also quotes the duties of the Independent Auditor such as:

1) To file a copy of the report with the Secretary of the Borough and to the clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the county and the Department of Community Affairs not later than 90 days after the close of the fiscal year, and

2) to publish within 10 days thereafter, by advertisement in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the Borough, a concise financial statement setting forth the balance in the treasury at the beginning of the fiscal year, all revenues received during the fiscal year by major classifications, all expenditures made during the fiscal year by major functions, and the current resources and liabilities of the borough at the end of the fiscal year, the gross liability and net debt of the Borough, the amount of the assessed valuation of the borough, the assets of the borough with the character and value thereof, the date of the last maturity of the respective forms of funded debt and the assets of each sinking fund.

Section 1113 states, “The fiscal records and documents and the minute book and other records and documents of every borough shall be open to the inspection of every taxpayer thereto, at any reasonable time.

You are all guilty of serious violations of the above Borough Code Sections. For one the Auditor accepts all figures and internal revenue and expenses provided by the borough without question. The mandatory Annual Audit never shows the internal debt. Auditor Mr. Long has stated at a Council Meeting that his Audit does not check internal loans or transfers of funds between borough departments.

There is no information available to taxpayers to show when and if the audits have been filed with the Court of Common Pleas, the Borough Secretary or the Department of Community Affairs.

There is no information available to taxpayers to show when and if the audits were published in any newspapers. And as far as records and documents available to taxpayers, the only information available to the taxpayer at the Borough Hall is the 2008 Budget which contains proposed figures.

If I do not receive an answer to this letter in timely fashion I will copy every State Agency because this is arrogant and deliberate attempt to conceal the falsifying of the Budget and publishing fraudulent reports.
Sincerely,




Borough Code Audit Requirement

It is no longer a requirement that municipalities file their annual budgets with DCED.

According to the Borough Code Section 1196, (a), (e) (1):

(a)The independent auditor shall annually examine, audit and settle all accounts whatsoever I which the borough is concerned and the audit shall consist of an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and shall include such tests of the accounting records and such other auditing procedures as he considers necessary in the circumstances

(e) It shall be the duty of the independent auditor:

(1) To file a copy of the report with the secretary of the borough and the clerk of the court of common pleas of the county and the Department of Community Affairs not later than ninety days after the close of the fiscal year, and

(2) To publish within ten days thereafter, by advertisement in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the borough, a concise financial statement setting forth the balance in the treasury at the beginning of the fiscal year, all revenues received during the fiscal year by major classifications, all expenditures made during the fiscal year by major functions, and the current resources and liabilities of the borough at the end of the fiscal year, the gross liability and net debt of the borough, the amount of the assessed valuation of the borough, the assets of the borough with the character and value thereof, the date of the last maturity of the respective forms of funded debt and the assets in each sinking fund.

Section 1113 states, “The fiscal records and documents and the minute book and other records and documents of every borough shall be open to the inspection of any taxpayer thereto, at any reasonable time.


Karen O'Neill
Government Policy Specialist
Department of Community & Economic Development
(717) 720-7395
Commonwealth Keystone Building400
North Street, 4th FloorHarrisburg, PA 17120-


From: Mayor Marino [mailto:kmayor@ptd.net] Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 9:52 PMTo: ONeill, KarenSubject: Re: NewPA.com Contact Us Inquiry


Am I to understand that it is proper to publish the 2006 Budget in June of 2008 and the 2007 is being reviewed in June of 2008. How does the DCED review the Budgets when the Borough has not had an internal Audit in at least 14 years and the Borough does not retain an accountant or a CPA? The Borough will not devulge when or in what local newspaper the 2006 and the 2007 Audits have been published as per the Borough Code which states the mandatory Annual Budget should be published 90 days after the end of the year. When does the Borough have to make the manatory Annual Audit available for public review at the Borough Hall? Gennaro A. Marino ----- Original Message -----


From: ONeill, Karen
To: kmayor@ptd.net
Cc: DC, DCEDCLGS ; Wolfe, Sandra
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 1:51 PM
Subject: RE: NewPA.com Contact Us Inquiry

Dear Mr. Marino,

Thank you for contacting the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).
Kutztown Boro has filed both their 2006 and 2007 Annual Financial Reports with DCED. The 2006 Annual Financial Reports will be published to the web approximately the last week in June or first week in July. The 2007 Annual Financial Report is currently being reviewed in DCED.

Sincerely,

Karen O'NeillGovernment Policy SpecialistDepartment of Community & Economic Development(717) 720-7395Commonwealth Keystone Building400 North Street, 4th FloorHarrisburg, PA 17120-0225www.newPA.com www.visitPA.com

.

From: kmayor@ptd.net [mailto:kmayor@ptd.net] Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 11:04 AMTo: readysetsucceed@newpa.comSubject: NewPA.com Contact Us Inquiry

First Name: Gennaro A.
Last Name: Marino
Company: noneTitle:
residentEmail: kmayor@ptd.net
Phone: 610-683-7977
Field: CitizenQuestion/Comment relates to: Local governmentQuestion/Comment:

Question: Has the Borough of Kutztown filed The Municipal Annual Audit and Financial Reports-DCED-CLGS-30 reports for 2006 and 2007? They are not available to the Public at the Borough Hall and the Borough has not announced when and if they were filed or published in the local newspapers. No financial reports or audits have been avaiable at the Borough Hall for almost a year and one half.