SHAMOKIN - The latest city council meeting row between the city clerk and Northumberland County's commissioner chairman proved deeply personal for both men.
Commissioner Vinny Clausi called Steve Bartos, city clerk, a "dirty man," questioning him about a failed police grant application that his wife worked on, for which she was paid in full.
Clausi also said the city has paid the mayor and three councilmen along with the city solicitor an estimated $500,000 in health benefits since 2006, a cost he has questioned.
Bartos responded in kind, calling Clausi the "chief clown" of the "circus" in Northumberland County office, accusing him of harassing employees and threatening to have the city clerk fired, which Clausi strongly denied.
Bartos also noted allegations of physical threats allegedly made by Clausi, according to a court deposition of a former county employee. Clausi also strongly denied the allegation.
"You know, this evening, I had the opportunity before council to read the deposition of David Fisher (former information technology director for Northumberland County) as posted on the Internet tonight," Bartos said.
"I read it," Clausi said.
"It talks about you slitting Mr. Fisher's throat, destroying hard drives, an FBI investigation. Is any of that true Mr. Clausi?" Bartos asked.
"Absolutely not. They took my hard drive, the police took my hard drive. They didn't do nothing yet. You guys are making this allegation," Clausi said.
"I'm not making an allegation, it's on the Internet this evening. It's posted all over the website, anybody can get it," Bartos said.
Fisher's comment under deposition was made in April related to a lawsuit filed by two former county sheriffs' deputies against the county. The deposition had been posted on Fisher's personal website.
"Listen, Mr. Bartos, you can make any allegation you want. You're a dirty man," Clausi said.
"As can you, Mr. Clausi, that's my point. That's my point. That's my point," Bartos said.
"My point is you're a dirty man," Clausi said.
"You're the corrupt individual and you run the county like a circus. You're the chief clown. We don't need a circus clown here. You should go back to the county and take care of your county business because there are a lot of problems there," Bartos said.
"Listen, my county includes the city of Shamokin, too. I was elected by the whole county," Clausi said.
Police grant
A grant between $375,000 and $450,000 was sought toward the hire of a new police officer, with the funding to be used both for salary and benefits for three consecutive years.
Meg Bartos, a candidate for Northumberland County prothonotary and Steve Bartos' wife, was hired by council on May 13 to apply for the federal funds through her company, Green Reliance Associates. She was paid $2,500 on May 24 for her services.
The application failed after it was only partially received, according to a U.S. Department of Justice spokesman. Information specific to the city's budget was never received by the department.
Both Mrs. Bartos and her husband say the application website crashed ahead of a June 4 deadline. That deadline was actually extended from May 21 because of prior technical glitches temporarily shuttering the website, the spokesman had confirmed.
A request made June 5 by Mr. Bartos to submit a paper copy of the application after deadline was denied by Department of Justice.
"I'm asking you is it true or not true that the police lost $400,000 worth of grants?" Clausi asked.
"No, that's not true," Mr. Bartos replied.
"Where's the grants?" Clausi asked.
"The grant was written and submitted by my wife," Bartos said.
"It was rejected, correct?" Clausi asked.
"Yeah, it was rejected. But it was submitted," adding that simply submitting an application doesn't guarantee an award, Bartos said.
Clausi said he told Police Chief Ed Griffiths that a county grant writer could be used for the work free of charge. Bartos said he'd never heard of the offer, and neither had Councilman R. Craig Rhoades.
Griffiths told them the offer came after the city had already entered a contract with Mrs. Bartos' firm.
Health costs
Clausi questioned Rhoades about his pay and insurance benefits.
Rhoades said he is enrolled in the city's health plan, as he has said before, and that he is enrolled in a "retirement plan."
"I can't wait to retire, yes, so I get $8 a month on that," Rhoades said.
Rhoades has been on city council for 22 years. It will be 24 years when his term expires. "I did not receive any city insurance prior to when my first wife passed away. I had no insurance so that's when I took the city's insurance, which all members have been entitled to since, way back, I have no idea, a long time," Rhoades said.
According to Clausi's estimates, a combined $468,000 in health insurance was paid by the city on behalf of Mayor George Rozinskie, Rhoades and fellow councilmen William Milbrand and William Strausser as well as Solicitor H. Robert Mattis.
Specifics on the costs have been unavailable through City Hall and could not be verified. Clausi did not say how he came about the estimates, but he has been pursuing the costs since at least November.
Clausi has sought the public release of the exact cost the city pays to any elected official and others enrolled in the city's health plan. So has fellow commissioner Stephen Bridy, who is involved in a public disclosure appeal with the city in county court over the matter.
The councilmen and the mayor, who is away from City Hall after suffering an injury last month, have previously acknowledged their enrollment in the health plan. Rozinskie pulled out of the plan in 2010.
It's believed Councilman Mike Snyder isn't enrolled.
Strausser has said he pays $100 monthly toward the cost to the city, which he estimated at between $600 and $700 each month.
Strong words
Bartos alleged Clausi came to office two days after May primary election and threatened to have him fired.
"Did you not come into my office two days after the election, the primary election, threatened me to have me fired, I was going to be removed? Threaten Mr. Rhoades? Throw a cartoon down on my desk, blame me for it?" Bartos asked Clausi at one point during Monday's meeting. "Order Ms. (Lynn) Dixson (community development officer) to copy the cartoon? And have it be continued, this form of harassment, going in and out of the treasurer's office and intimidating other employees of the city and contractors?"
"Listen," Clausi replied, "First of all, this allegation you make is totally out of order. ... I come into your office, Steve, and I asked you when are you going to release the information for the insurance because Harrisburg say we have to get it. You told me you would release the information at the 8th of the month. That's exactly what you told me."
"You didn't threaten me, Mr. Clausi?"
"No, absolutely not."
"You didn't threaten Mr. Rhoades?"
"Why didn't you call the police?"
"I will next time. I will."
"Mr. Bartos, it's nuts."
Clausi later asked if two of Bartos' children - the family lives in Mount Carmel - were hired to work at the city pool. They were, Strausser said, and they were hired by council. Council hires people from Elysburg, Mount Carmel, Shamokin and Coal Township to work there.
Rhoades said it's his understanding that anyone who submits an application to work at the pool is hired. No one is turned away, he said.
Milbrand said as far as he knew, there remain vacancies at the pool.
Bartos grew very angry when his children were mentioned.
"When you draw my children into it, Mr. Clausi, and that is the end of it. I tell you what, everyone here at some point in time had most of their kids work for the city in some way, and other relatives," Bartos said.
"The second point is when you attack my children, you are out of line. This is politically motivated. You're backing someone for prothonotary against my wife. At this point, you've hit a nerve and you're right. I'm protective of my family. If I wasn't protective of my family, then shame on me. But shame on you, Mr. Clausi, for bringing my children even into it," Bartos said.
Clausi, a Democrat, is backing Republican candidate Justin Dunkelberger for the prothonotary's office against Mrs. Bartos, also a Democrat. However, he said he held no ill will toward the Bartos children.
"I don't have nothing against your children," Clausi said.
Bartos apologized for his behavior at the meeting's conclusion. He did not, however, back down from, as he said, sticking up for his family.