Bill Stewart is the leader this town needs. I have to admit. A few years ago, I do not think I could have made that statement. Two years ago, he ran with the establishment, and I really thought he was going to be a puppet. I really thought he was going to be a guy who was okay with paying chiefs on leave, with having a part time police force that could be easily controlled, and who would just go along with the status quo.
I was wrong. Bill Stewart is a stand up guy who is anything but a puppet. He single-handedly organized and led the Civil Service Commission, which led to the hiring of a full-time police force. And why is that so important?
It saves taxpayers money. Lots of insurance money. It costs a lot of money to insure part-time police officers. On the other hand, it is a lot cheaper to insure a full-time staff. So, thanks to Bill Stewart, who also had the support of Karen Reeves, Dave Paterson, and Despo Tatasciore, we have a full-time police force. It is also important to note that Danielle Thompson and John Pappas both voted against hiring a full-time police force.
Stewart, along with the support of Reeves, Paterson, and Tatasciore, also think that people need to show up to work in order to get paid. Honestly, is that a bad thing? These four members of Council are working to ensure that the police chief on leave is only paid what he earned, something that has really irked Danielle Thompson, John Pappas, and Ralph Orr. Taking that position requires strong character. It is not easy to stand up and say that something is wrong, especially in a small town where you know the people you are talking about. Allowing someone to accrue 800+ hours of paid leave time, when every other Borough employee has a ‘use it or lose it’ vacation policy, is wrong. Stewart, Reeves, Paterson, and Tatasciore are trying to correct a long-standing problem existing as a result of the Mayor and his police chief on leave friend, both of who are supported by Thompson and Pappas. The RRPOE members of Council are not on a witch-hunt, as Thompson wants to cry about. They are simply asking the Mayor to demonstrate how the chief on leave accrued 800+ hours of leave time when he has not been a work for quite some time.
There is a glaringly obvious solution for Thompson, the chief of leave, and the Mayor. Provide the records. If someone can show how 800+ hours of leave time was accrued even when the chief on leave wasn’t working, this conversation would be over. In fact, a resident even made a Right to Know request for the records, and he did not receive them. Council President Karen Reeves has openly stated that she is trying to help the resident get the information he requested. The only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the records don’t exist anymore. The astounding lack of leadership coming from Thompson and that group looks even worse when put up to comparison to the work of Stewart coupled with the years of experience in Reeves and Tatasciore. Thompson's group looks like they are fighting to save the benefits of one or two people while Stewart, Reeves, Paterson and Tatasciore look like they are making the tough decisions that benefit our entire community.
Bill Stewart also spearheaded the recycling initiative that will be starting in January. A lot of people want to take credit for getting this program off the ground, but the reality of the situation is that Bill attended the meetings, did the research, and developed the plan for recycling in Eddystone. And that recycling plan will cost residents nothing while saving the Borough tens of thousands of dollars in tipping fees if a mere 20% of the town participates. Look at the minutes. Who attended the meetings? Bill Stewart and Dave Paterson. Who presented the information? Bill Stewart and Karen Reeves.
In a few months, Stewart, Reeves, Paterson, and Tatasciore should be joined by Beth Gross, who will add some more experience to the mix thanks to her years of work with the Eddystone Home and School, the Youth Aid Panel, and the firehouse, among other things.
Don’t forget to vote on November 5th for Bill Stewart, Karen Reeves, Beth Gross, and Despo Tatasciore for Council and Allen Reeves for Mayor.