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Politics is in the national spotlight, and this is a good time to put the spotlight on Nanticoke’s politicians. The administration – led by Mayor Richard Wiaterowski and Council President Bill Brown – is a disaster.
Mayor Wiaterowski took office in January 2014, as did Brown. Taxpayers have been hammered ever since. Property taxes were increased by 20 percent in 2014, and 21.5 percent for 2016. Plus, the sewer tax increased 50 percent in 2016.
During this period, there weren’t any spending cuts of significance.
Our city budget is $5.5 million for 2016. We are budgeting $1.6 million for our fire department to cover our city’s area of 3.3 square miles. Hanover Township budgets $600,000 for its fire department to cover 19 square miles. The township has three full-time fire truck drivers (with benefits) and nine part-time fire truck drivers (with no benefits).
Nanticoke’s truck drivers average more than $50,000 in salaries and more than $25,000 in benefits. We have 10 full-time drivers and a full-time fire chief whose salary is $62,000 a year. Hanover Township’s fire chief is a part-time employee, receiving $8,000 a year and no benefits.
Nanticoke budgets $2.3 million for its police department. Hanover Township budgets $1.8 million. Nanticoke contains very little business or industrial property, while Hanover Township has large numbers of businesses and industrial properties to protect with its police and fire departments.
Nanticoke employees’ benefits are considered Cadillac-type benefits, costing city taxpayers on average around $30,000 a year; that’s more than the average city family’s income is for a year.
Mayor Wiaterowski’s term, as well as the terms of Councilmen Brown and Kevin Coughlin, will be up after 2017. And hopefully they will have opposition in the election.
Democrats and Republicans need to work together to ensure their defeat in the 2017 primary, or God help the taxpayers.
Hank Marks
President
Nanticoke Area Taxpayers Forum