Shopping During a Fiscal Crisis

Never let it be said that Mark Evers is careful with a buck during a fiscal crisis which has the town's comptroller projecting a $250,000 deficit. Yesterday about 7 new copy machines showed up at town hall. They apparently cost more than $20,000.

But equally disturbing as this kind of purchasing during a fiscal crisis, is how they were bought, in apparent defiance of the law. The Town Supervisor apparently signed a contract of some sort authorizing the purchase. Trouble is, the Town Law requires that the Town Board approve all contracts before the Supervisor can enter into an agreement. Other sections of the law set an amount of $10,000 as a threshold for towns to require Board approval and competitive bidding.

General Powers Town Board
Sec 64 Sub 6

Award and Execution of Town Contracts

"The Town may award a contract for any purposes authorized by law and the same shall be executed by the Town Supervisor in the name of the Town after approval by the Town Board."

Translation: I'm Mark Evers and I don't bother getting town board approvals for contracts, hiring people, changing their job titles without board consent, firing people without board consent, issuing checks to contractors behind the back of the town board and without any approval and despite being told not to hire, pay or fire without town board approval.

So now we are in the midst of a huge financial crisis. Mark Evers apparently authorized the purchase of the fancy copy machines without Board approval. Let's scream the way the previous town board screamed when a new Fire Marshall Truck arrived in front of town hall without the town board approving the purchase. No resolution was ever passed authorizing that expense or the expensive Decals and blinking light, and computer hookup which were put after arrival. The boys in the Building Department need their toys and there is nothing like a fancy CD stereo equipped toy with fancy decals and blinking lights to make your day fly.

Evers solution to that purchase: Pay for it, it's here, so we the taxpayers did, just like we paid the truck's principle driver a huge health insurance buyout from a policy he had never been in to begin with, all the while getting free health insurance as a full time fireman in Troy. Just like we were forced to pay Mark Ever's free health insurance of $5,000 a year for two years even though as a part time official, he was not eligible for the insurance. No different than being forced to pay the same premiums for a vendor, the town's contractual, non employee, engineer. He grabbed free insurance for 4 years at $5,000 a year and neither Evers or the town board made him pay it back when it was exposed by a foil request. By the way folks take a look at what can happen when public officials take benefits they are not entitled to. This mayor is wishing he didn't do what we think Mark Evers and his contract engineer should refund money for doing, take benefits they don't deserve.

That's how Mark Evers manages your money. Hey, set that one up in my office, hit the start button and find my missing stool!