Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Coal Region Canary
Coal Region CanaryCoal Region Canary

Coronavirus in Schuylkill County

Commissioners Hold Off Approving Consulting Contract

Schuylkill County Commissioners held off approving a consulting contract with a company that allegedly helped divvy up the $12.7 million in CARES Act money last year.

The proposed contract with Susquehanna Accounting & Consulting Solutions Inc. would last through most of 2021 (Jan. 4-Dec. 31) and cost the county no more than $50,000. It’s not known what service this consulting firm would provide the county in the coming year. The Commissioners meeting agenda on Wednesday only indicated that Susquehanna would provide “technical consulting” to the Commissioners.

Commissioners Chairman Boots Hetherington announced Wednesday that he’s tabling that motion to approve the contract until next week. The main reason he did that was to avoid any public conflict with Commissioner Gary Hess, who we’ve been told is opposed to the deal.

Boots needed another vote to approve the contract and he couldn’t get it from Commissioner George Halcovage on Wednesday because he was absent from their weekly meeting.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1658728627906147

Susquehanna was one of two companies brought in last year by the Schuylkill Commissioners to help OK spending choices using the CARES Act allocation it received to help deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the spending decisions using that money were highly questionable.

The most problematic is the county’s decision to use a large, unknown portion of the fund to cover a shortfall in the 2021 budget, which the Commissioners admitted to doing toward the end of 2020.

Prior to deciding to use the CARES Act money to plug a budget hole, the Commissioners had voted to use more than $6 million of that fund to purchase equipment to upgrade the County’s 9-1-1 system. And even that decision was highly questionable and was voted against, for the most part, by Hess.

ALSO READ:

Subscribe to Coal Region Canary

Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!
Loading

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1658728627906147
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More From The Canary

Obituaries Index

The latest obituaries from Schuylkill County .

PA Lottery Numbers

Check those tickets!

Local Weather

The S word is in the forecast but doesn't look like it's anything to worry about at all.

Local Business News

Learn the inspiring story behind what started this handmade leather earrings business.

Local Business News

Lots of great gift ideas this holiday season from Pressed!

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Michael W. Brennan Jr., 53, of Tower City, passed away Thursday, November 30, 2023 at the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Pottsville.

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Carolyn Jane (Lanzetta) Carroll formerly of Auburn, age 82, passed away peacefully at Tremont Health and Rehab Center, Tremont, after an extended battle with...

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Stanley P. Brozana Jr. passed away at his home on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at the age of 72 after a battle with brain tumors...

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Alberta “Dolly” Eye, 100, Girardville, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 28th.

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Gerald Reading, 75, of Schuylkill Haven passed away Wednesday, November 29th, at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville.

Schuylkill County Obituaries

Gerald Reading, 75, of Schuylkill Haven passed away Wednesday, November 29th, at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville.

Schuylkill County News

Autopsy revealed intrauterine fentanyl toxicity, court documents show.

Advertisement https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1658728627906147