The newly-appointed treasurer of Pottsville’s Redevelopment Authority is accusing the board’s chairman of playing politics and making it impossible for him to get started in his new role.
Matt Direnzo was appointed treasurer of the Redevelopment Authority in August. One of his first tasks, at the request of his fellow board members, was to open a bank account, which up until this point (and still, currently) the authority did not have. It also didn’t have an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Charged with this task, Direnzo said he set about getting this first job done as the new treasurer. And it immediately went sideways, as he put it on Wednesday, though not as delicately.
Using the public comment portion of Wednesday’s 8 a.m. meeting at City Hall, Direnzo went on a 4-minute objurgation during which he blasted the authority’s chairman, Ian Lipton, for constantly playing politics and setting him up to fail at his new job.
Direnzo said, “Nobody has helped me at all get started, especially you Ian. You’re the chairman of this board.”
He questioned how there could be a treasurer’s report on Wednesday’s agenda. He didn’t create it and had no access to information about the funds.
“How can you have a treasurer’s report? I’m the treasurer,” Direnzo wondered.
Later in the meeting, the authority board members tabled a vote on approving what was submitted as a treasurer’s report, presumably by Lipton, which was presented as a Profit and Loss Statement. There were questions about its accuracy raised by several board members.
As far as getting started in the role of treasurer, Direnzo said he turned to City Clerk and acting City Administrator Lisa Shuman for help. He then said he turned to Lipton.
“Nobody could help me get started. Your exact words were, ‘Go open a bank account,'” Direnzo recalled Lipton saying to him.
According to Direnzo, Lipton gave Direnzo $200 and sent him to CACL Federal Credit Union, where the authority had agreed to do its banking after not having a bank account prior to this point.
At the bank, Direnzo said an associate there “laughed at me.”
“You can’t just walk in here as an authority and open a bank account,” Direnzo recalled being told. “I said I kind of figured that.
“I took your word for it. So you basically made a fool out of me,” Direnzo said. ” This is ridiculous. I can’t get anything to start being a treasurer.”
He also wondered why the authority was planning to outline his duties as treasurer after he’d been elected by the board to that position. Again to Lipton, he said, “You’re trying to make an ass out of me.”
“I’m not part of your club.”
Outside of his frustrations with getting started in his role as treasurer, Direnzo also expressed serious frustrations with what he said is Lipton playing politics on the Redevelopment Authority.
He recalled a July 13 phone call in which Lipton said he wanted to talk about a board meeting the next day. Direnzo said he immediately returned the chairman’s call because he thought it was important business pertaining to the authority.
Instead, he said Lipton wanted to talk politics.
On that call, according to Direnzo, Lipton labeled PADCO executive director Savas Logothetides as “the enemy with the Republicans.”
“My comment back to you was, ‘I’m not a Democrat. Did I say I was a Republican? Did I say anything political? No. I’m not part of your club,'” Direnzo said.
That’s when Direnzo hit the ceiling.
“I’m getting (bleeping) pissed off here. Like I have nothing better to do than sit here and be in the politics of this (bleeping) building,” he said. “I didn’t even make it through the first 10 minutes of the first meeting. You turned to (Solicitor) Ed (Brennan) … well, actually, Ed stopped you for legal reasons.”
He recalled what he says Lipton said to the board, “‘This is an election season. We’re going to get our ass kicked if we don’t know it.’“
Direnzo said Wednesday, “What does this have to do with redevelopment? The next meeting … again. We’re gonna get our ass ki- … Ed had to stop you twice. STOP YOUR SH**!”
He said he was done with this public comment but that wasn’t true. Direnzo continued, “I had to say that. This shouldn’t be about politics. This is taxpayers’ money. My money, your money. You’re acting like it’s yours. I’m speaking on behalf of the taxpayer. Yes, I guess we did a lot of great things out this. Guarantee, a lot better things could. Get your act together. I’m done. I have so much more I could say, too.”
He did say more but before that, Lipton – who looked directly at Direnzo through his entire monologue – entered the chat.
“Why don’t you say it, Matt,” Lipton urged.
But before he gave the floor back to Direnzo to see if he did, indeed, have more to say – which he did – Lipton added, “You know, after 40 years, I can tell you we have done great things.”
Direnzo stepped back in and said, “You see, it has nothing to do with that. It’s all politics. I’m only getting on you because you just keep on bringing up politics.
“Things have gotten done. Did I say you didn’t do anything? Just pure politics out of your month since I started, especially that phone call,” Direnzo concluded.
To follow, Logothetides added in a public comment on what was allegedly said. He chimed in, “I was unaware that that was said. It disheartens me. I don’t think I’m an enemy of the city in any way, shape, or form.”
Lipton declined to say much after Wednesday’s meeting but did add that Direnzo’s comments were a direct attack on him personally. He said, “It makes it a little more complicated because I thought we were all on the same team.”
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