SHAMOKIN - Steve Bartos believes the city's financial crisis is exaggerated, and he's spent much of his time in the first six weeks as the new city clerk addressing budget issues.
In fact, Bartos doesn't believe the city will have to cut jobs to balance its books, as some have suggested.
"We have to tighten our belts financially, but I don't believe we have to cut any jobs at this point," he said. "We are certainly living in bad economic times locally and nationally, but I believe the city's revenues will improve as the economy improves and puts us in better shape."
The city clerk job is Bartos' fourth in government, others having been at the federal, state and county levels. Despite his high-profile firings from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) - over which he sued, and recently received encouraging news (see accompanying story) - and Northumberland County, as well as his fallout with now-retired state Rep. Robert E. Belfanti Jr., his expertise has been welcome at City Hall.
"I think Steve is doing a
great for us so far," said Mayor George Rozinskie, who strongly recommended Bartos for the clerk's position. "He's saved us money on our street lighting through an agreement with PPL Energy Plus Pool and has made sure all our bills are paid on time. I think his experience in grant writing will help the city tremendously."
Rozinskie said Bartos has met with a financial adviser from Lancaster in hopes of improving the city's financial situation.
"It's been going great so far," is how Bartos described the new job during an interview in his office Friday afternoon. "Mayor Rozinskie and council members have been working together to improve the overall financial situation of the city and quality of life for the citizens of the community, which is what government is all about."
Finding revenue
Bartos, 49, of Mount Carmel, was hired May 3 at an annual salary of $35,000, replacing Dave Kinder, who resigned after serving in the post since October 2008.
He said he's taking a different approach to analyzing the city's financial numbers.
"Only last year's numbers were used to project this year's numbers. I think we need to take a weighted average over the past five years to get a better overall picture of how the economy is performing and what the city revenues will look like," he said.
Bartos said he and Solicitor H. Robert Mattis have identified a way to increase revenue by increasing the television cable franchise fee from Service Electric from to 4 to 5 percent, which will generate between $25,000 and $30,000 more revenue per year for the city. Under the Pennsylvania Communications Act, a municipality is allowed to raise the fee to a maximum of 5 percent, he said.
He also expects the city to save approximately $20,000 in street lighting through the agreement with the energy pool, which offers municipalities better energy rates. Bartos said the city currently pays approximately $150,000 per year for street lights, but that would fall to approximately $130,000 by getting electricity at 6.923 cents per kilowatt hour versus the current 8.98.
"We are also working on other cost-saving and revenue-generating measures," he said. "I've been meeting with a financial adviser to repackage or refinance our annual debt service that totals $230,000 and lower our interest rate."
Filling properties
Bartos said Rozinskie and council members also hope to fill as many city-owned properties as possible. The clerk said the city is continuing to negotiate leases for two vacant properties at Mill Road Square in the 500 block of North Franklin Street.
"We hope to fill both properties by the fall," Bartos said.
He also said Bressi & Martin Real Estate is continuing to market a lease agreement for the basement area in the American Legion Building below the Shamokin-Coal Township Public Library that formerly housed the local senior action center.
"We are being very active in trying to attract potential renters in the city," Bartos said.
He is confident his grant writing experience and years working for the federal government will prove beneficial.
Enduring 'nonsense'
Bartos worked approximately eight years for the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., before taking his job with DEP. He was praised by the state and locally for his efforts in starting the COALS (Cleanup Our Anthracite Land and Streams) and other environmental improvement efforts.
But Bartos was fired by DEP in 2007 for allegedly making a racial slur, an accusation he still claims is false and was brought on by his questioning of top-level DEP employees about department procedures and spending.
He took a job as county planning director in February 2008. In that role, he created and promoted FUTURES, an economic development project that is supposed to bring clean energy jobs to the region. Lack of progress on that front has earned public criticism for Bartos, but he maintains such projects will come to fruition in time.
The FUTURES project also spun off a new energy business incubator, Keystone Energy Technology Enterprise Center (KETEC), based in Mount Carmel. Bartos is present of the board of directors of the nonprofit group.
After less than a year in the county job, however, Bartos was fired for insubordination in January 2009. He defended his actions, saying the commissioners simply didn't want their thinking or actions challenged, and that led to tension that boiled over.
His next job was with Belfanti and the state Democratic caucus, for which he served as alternative/green energy coordinator for the Lower Anthracite Region. But against the retiring legislator's wishes, he ran for state representative to replace Belfanti in the 107th District, and the decision led to a nasty split and Bartos' eventual resignation.
Through all this, Bartos said he has made progress nonetheless.
"My family and I have endured despite all the negativism. We've been able to achieve a lot of things in spite of the nonsense said about me," he said. "I want to thank the people in Mount Carmel and Shamokin who have supported my family and me through some tough times. They didn't believe all the nonsense that was put out there."
Working hard
What Rozinskie especially likes is Bartos' effort to find revenue.
"I believe Steve is a great asset for the city," he said. "Despite his past working relationships with people and what some people have said about him, he has been working hard for the city since taking the position."
Council R. Craig Rhoades said that Bartos' hiring was a wise choice, and isn't worried at all about his past.
"We hope we can help this city move in a positive direction," said Rhoades. "I think his experience and contacts at the state level can help us do that."
Former council member Betsy Richardson, who is running again for council in November, said only time will tell how well Bartos does in his latest position.
"I think it's too early on to predict the positives and negatives, but Mr. Bartos deserves a chance to prove himself," she said.
(News-Item staff writer Mark Gilger Jr. contributed to this story.)