tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post2019121519334763116..comments2023-07-10T08:28:51.479-04:00Comments on Lebo Citizens: Open the BooksUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-2734141144951749022017-07-17T18:39:31.658-04:002017-07-17T18:39:31.658-04:00Oh. My. Goodness. So the twelve listed - are they:...Oh. My. Goodness. So the twelve listed - are they:<br />Feller, Morgans, Donnellan, McGill, Sukal, Schalles, Cross, Berkley, Milliron, Richey, Windstein, and one more?<br />And they get longevity pay too. That is crazy!<br />Elaine<br />Lebo Citizenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07936908236243700005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-13425026273346102582017-07-17T17:28:40.382-04:002017-07-17T17:28:40.382-04:00The 401a in the CAFR is for the 12 non union emplo...The 401a in the CAFR is for the 12 non union employees - they get a 15% (of salary) contribution from the township and are restricted from making contributions from their salary - so unlike a typical 401k that most people are used to. Bottom line - salaries for those at the top are 15% higher than stated.Minghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17149785479359766882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-75702227881474238052017-07-14T12:04:01.800-04:002017-07-14T12:04:01.800-04:00Funny, there is an interesting article that appear...Funny, there is an interesting article that appeared on the Lebomag site that relates to the population issue.<br /><br />The Compagnones sons’ were shocked when they sold the family home. “They were very upset. They loved the house,” Jane recalls. “My one son said, ‘If I had the money, I’d buy the house.’”<br /><br />But the bottom line is that he didn’t; one son moved to San Diego and the other to Boston. “I told them, ‘You can move across country, and Daddy and I can’t move a mile away?’” she says, laughing."<br /><br />This may be a problem bigger than just Mt. Lebanon, but notice the boys moved elsewhere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-44958550646861985322017-07-14T06:39:07.491-04:002017-07-14T06:39:07.491-04:008:17, shouldn't a decline and its cause (like ...8:17, shouldn't a decline and its cause (like smaller families or shift to predominantly empty nesters) be a prime consideration as we focus on our community's "real problems?"<br /><br />That was the point of the population numbers, nothing more, nothing less.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-21432354341888677352017-07-13T08:17:24.108-04:002017-07-13T08:17:24.108-04:001-2% annual loss might be alarming, depends on you...1-2% annual loss might be alarming, depends on your business. If you're selling VCRs (or even DVD players) today, you'd probably take that in a heart beat. Selling solar panels or organic veggies? Yikes. 1-2% loss over ten years? That's negligible and likely largely attributable to smaller families living in (relative to Peters, USC, et al.) smaller homes.<br /><br />I'm not apologizing for the problems that exist in our community, I just think we are better served by focusing on real problems.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-9388898068747422292017-07-13T06:55:06.959-04:002017-07-13T06:55:06.959-04:00And in addition, why would anyone want to move awa...And in addition, why would anyone want to move away from all those wonderful MTL neighbors that say, "if you don't like MY Mt. Lebanon, you should get out!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-71270019893759031222017-07-13T05:54:24.952-04:002017-07-13T05:54:24.952-04:00Move to Dallas?!
And leave the crown jewel, $800 ...Move to Dallas?!<br /><br />And leave the crown jewel, $800 a pop deer kills, the rain water tax and our official municipal magazine.<br /><br />No way!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-35537414855515135332017-07-12T17:20:06.651-04:002017-07-12T17:20:06.651-04:00Billionaire Mark Cuban is marketing to millennials...Billionaire Mark Cuban is marketing to millennials. <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2017/07/11/mark-cuban-urges-millennials-to-move-to-dallas.html" rel="nofollow">Move to Dallas</a><br />ElaineLebo Citizenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07936908236243700005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-52403371405221294552017-07-12T16:55:59.917-04:002017-07-12T16:55:59.917-04:00From 1980 to 1990 we lost 1,052 people.
From 1990 ...From 1980 to 1990 we lost 1,052 people.<br />From 1990 to 2000 we lost 345.<br />In 2010 we gained back 127.<br />In 2016 it's estimated we'll lose 652 (if my mental math is accurate)<br /><br />Considering that an average family is comprised of about 4 people, it seems we need to be looking at the composition of population and which services we should be adjusting up or down.<br />Burying our heads in the sand and believing it's no big deal isn't a very wise choice.<br /><br />In the private sector a loss of 1-2% in customers is alarming, and steps are usually immediately put in place to trim over or to attract new ones.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-5730409366289092632017-07-12T15:37:49.865-04:002017-07-12T15:37:49.865-04:00The population decline occurred in the 1970s and e...The population decline occurred in the 1970s and early 80s. We've been pretty steady (holding at roughly 33,000) for nearly 30 years. There are concerns here, but I don't think this belongs anywhere near the top of the list.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-41709937703458241812017-07-12T15:13:01.956-04:002017-07-12T15:13:01.956-04:00Strange thing, as I scroll through that list of mu...Strange thing, as I scroll through that list of municipal salaries that tag line from a credit card commercial keeps playing over in my mind... "What's in your wallet?"<br /><br />Then I start thinking about my healthcare contributions, pension benefits (ha ha), the fact that I use my own smartphone for work and my employer could pull up stakes and leave the area at anytime.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-18507870121918123292017-07-12T13:45:26.349-04:002017-07-12T13:45:26.349-04:00Blog readers should also consult the "Compreh...Blog readers should also consult the "<a href="http://www.mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/View/15032" rel="nofollow">Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2016</a>" in order to put some of the salary and population figures presented in this thread in context. For a lot of people - I dare say most - this document will be enough to put an insomniac to sleep in a matter of minutes, but there are a number of charts and summaries that cut to the chase. In all fairness, the CAFR shows the municipality to be in good overall financial shape - no surprise there - with a "net position" for government activities of $3,381,416, and business activities of $254,084. "Net position" is simply the difference between money in minus money out. However, these figures are down from 2015. <br /><br />Under the category "General Government," the Public Information Office was the second biggest expense at $836,514, just behind "Fringe benefits unallocated" at $1,106,117. To put it another way, 18% of the money spent on "General Government" was for the Public Information Office. And how is our glossy municipal magazine doing? Well, according to the CAFR, "<i>Revenues for the average 64-page magazine were $68.7k behind 2015 collections. Corresponding expenditures were below budget and prior year totals.</i>" <br /><br />With respect to salaries and fringe benefits, in 2016 $19,949,878 in wages and fringe benefits were paid to municipal employees. Of that figure, $10,441,581 was paid in "regular" salaries and wages, and $6,701,292 was paid in "fringe benefits." <br /><br />As an aside, I have definitively identified July 12, 2017 at 10:53 AM as the ghost of Yogi Berra.Richard Gideonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-11329680650129338602017-07-12T13:22:39.918-04:002017-07-12T13:22:39.918-04:00You mentioned recreation maintenance 12:44.
Wasn&#...You mentioned recreation maintenance 12:44.<br />Wasn't it around 2015 that we were talking about how deplorable conditions were on a fields and in our parks?<br />Seems to me surrounding communities manage to keep their grass fields in playable condition.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-8408963589452267172017-07-12T12:56:40.269-04:002017-07-12T12:56:40.269-04:00Now it's pretty easy to see why suddenly they&...Now it's pretty easy to see why suddenly they're looking to collect "fees" for overnight parking, stormwater runoff and garbage collection.<br /><br />It used to be that your property taxes, earned income taxes, etc., etc. were more than enough to cover municipal overhead.<br />Now we even pay for things like $800/deer kills even many communities get it done for free.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-43953382932072524492017-07-12T12:44:06.145-04:002017-07-12T12:44:06.145-04:00The recreation director dodges campers 11:32? He ...The recreation director dodges campers 11:32? He doesn't schedule all of the parks, activities and maintenance? If what you have said is true, that he works directly with day campers he is making too much. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-8641783743485011982017-07-12T12:32:19.179-04:002017-07-12T12:32:19.179-04:00No Elaine I wasn't referring to the first comm...No Elaine I wasn't referring to the first comment. Like you I couldn't tell if it was sarcasm or a compliment.<br /><br />I was predicting comments more like 10:53's although it wasn't as bad as what will probably be arriving soon.<br /><br />10:53's probably correct about the Chief's partial salary and is correct to point that out. The sarcasm though is entirely unnecessary as it's not like the official magazine or press has ever gotten numbers wrong.<br /><br />OK, let's move on. The declining population numbers aren't a good sign and a discussion should begin as to whether we need all those high salaried people. Can we sustain them and their legacy costs and maintain the infrastructure as well?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-45396799052560354662017-07-12T11:51:01.207-04:002017-07-12T11:51:01.207-04:00Shocked, Elaine. Shocked. :)Shocked, Elaine. Shocked. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-24799210942069623782017-07-12T11:32:39.212-04:002017-07-12T11:32:39.212-04:00Fair enough. The Chief made slightly more than the...Fair enough. The Chief made slightly more than the Recreation Director. Dodging those day campers is high risk !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-73575649835607847002017-07-12T11:10:54.393-04:002017-07-12T11:10:54.393-04:00Such a big word, 10:53 AM. I guess that is why the...Such a big word, 10:53 AM. I guess that is why they pay you the big bucks.<br />ElaineLebo Citizenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07936908236243700005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-16707830141951985412017-07-12T10:53:10.183-04:002017-07-12T10:53:10.183-04:00"Coleman made $8,502 more than part-timer Lau..."Coleman made $8,502 more than part-timer Laura Pace Lilley."<br /><br />Chief McDonough made $61,181 in 2015 because he retired in May of 2015.<br /><br />I am shocked to see a mischaracterization of the facts on this blog to make a personal attack on an anathema. Shocked, I tell you. Shocked.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-34901506341253735242017-07-12T10:07:23.479-04:002017-07-12T10:07:23.479-04:00No typo, 9:59 AM. People are shocked when I say th...No typo, 9:59 AM. People are shocked when I say that she makes more than $100,000 a year. Plus benefits!<br />ElaineLebo Citizenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07936908236243700005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-58487315762602632832017-07-12T09:59:14.967-04:002017-07-12T09:59:14.967-04:00Susan Morgans makes how much? You must have a typo...Susan Morgans makes how much? You must have a typo there, Elaine. She couldn't possibly make half that amount for putting together that monthly rag that appears in our mailboxes. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-73972973210959017112017-07-12T09:59:01.218-04:002017-07-12T09:59:01.218-04:00Anonymous at 9:50 AM, if you mean the first commen...Anonymous at 9:50 AM, if you mean the first comment, I took it as a compliment. I couldn't tell if it was meant to be taken as sarcasm. <br />ElaineLebo Citizenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07936908236243700005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-32926762776581536082017-07-12T09:50:53.139-04:002017-07-12T09:50:53.139-04:00The fangs and attack dogs should be arriving here ...The fangs and attack dogs should be arriving here soon. God forbid we have a civil discussion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2395310382514169324.post-35060117714659987992017-07-12T09:50:06.644-04:002017-07-12T09:50:06.644-04:00Yes, 9:44 AM. Specifically, Coleman made $8,502 mo...Yes, 9:44 AM. Specifically, Coleman made $8,502 more than part-timer Laura Pace Lilley.<br />Waiting for the "personal vendetta" comment which usually shows up when I post stuff like this.<br />ElaineLebo Citizenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07936908236243700005noreply@blogger.com