Free Press –
Woglom Leaving Richand Library Quakertown Boro Pennridge Authority
Dear Friends,
Good morning. Today’s topics include possible trouble in Quakertown’s government, a municipal squabble in Perkasie, and the Richland Library annual meeting.
We’ll start with the annual meeting of the Richland Library. Quakertown’s first library was not the Michener Library. It was the Richland Library operated by the Quaker Community and located between West Broad and Juniper Streets. And it still is going strong although the Quakers no longer run it.
Note the name…Richland Library. When the library first opened its doors in 1788, Quakertown was not yet a municipality. Library records reveal that dues were paid in British shillings and pence. The governing municipality was Richland. The borough came into existence in 1855.
People like me think that the legislature erred when it carved out boroughs from the townships, which surround them. The system certainly has caused plenty of angst ever since. But that’s a subject for the future.
The Richland Library has become a center for genealogical research and local history. It held its annual meeting May 6th. At $5, membership is a steal. We elected Ann Hellman President; Judy Leister, Secretary; Rodney Henry, Treasurer; and Tom Moll, Librarian. Seventeen attended.
It was a bittersweet meeting. Plans for the $300,000 (plus) addition were reviewed and the modest budget approved. Richland Library runs on volunteer energy. There was no category listed for the cost of employees. That’s because there are none. Library receipts totaled $32,902.18, most of which came from investments. Some of those investments will pay for the addition.
Calvin Ruth, Quakertown’s most famous artist, used to be the librarian. He donated a Maus grandfather’s clock to Richland Library. It has extraordinary value.
That was the good news.
But you could feel the sadness in the room. One officer was missing. Judy Leister’s husband Jim had just died and she was home caring for her family. Judy was reelected to the Secretary position, of course. But Richland Library will miss Jim. He was a devoted friend who gave excellent engineering advice…all from his generous nature. “You can see Jim’s hands in the library plans,” Rodney Henry told me.
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There’s an ugly municipal fight brewing in Perkasie. The council wants to take over its water and sewer authority. Most municipalities finance water and sewer systems through authorities. In Perkasie’s case, it created a financing and operating authority. Perkasie Borough Council appoints the authority members but permits the authority to operate independently. And it does!
I remember the trouble operating authorities caused when I was a Bucks County Commissioner. The county water and sewer authority, redevelopment authority, and housing authority were not just financing authorities…they were operating authorities as well. They were governments within the government. The only oversight the county government provided was when authority members were reappointed…or fired.
We learned the hard way. When it was time to create an authority to finance the Neshaminy water system and parks, we purposely denied permission for the authority to operate. The authority was a financing authority period. Today, county employees run the operations, not an independent quasi government that does not report directly to the voters. And it worked much better.
Perkasie has learned the hard way, just as the county did. But to rescind operations will require the borough to take control of the authority. To the surprise of no one, the Perkasie Water and Sewer Authority members are resisting their parents. They like running their independent sub government and have chosen to fight the council. It’s ugly and promises to get uglier.
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Quakertown is in the midst of change. Most believe that a municipal union will become a reality this month. As you recall, one year ago, Quakertown employees failed to organize by two votes…just one vote if you disallow the vote of an employee who was leaving the borough’s employ.
I would be astounded if the employees reject the union’s bid to organize. What will that mean to Quakertown? Nothing or something significant, depending upon with whom you speak.
More important, what lies ahead for the borough’s manager, Dave Woglom? Free Press columnist Richard Woldow has been sniping at Woglom for several years. Almost every week, Woldow has something negative to suggest about Woglom's management style.
The seven-member council is changing. For years, no Democrat won election to the council board. But that has changed. The council is now 5 to 2 in favor of the Republicans. Next year, the terms of L. James Roberts, Elfriede Werner and David Wilsey expire. Roberts and Werner are Republicans; Wilsey is a Democrat. If the Roberts and Werner seats fall to the Democrats, council would become 4 to 3 in the Democrats’ favor.
What happens to the borough manager in that case? Who knows? But if I were Dave Woglom, I’d be looking for another municipal home. Woglom is only 50 and has plenty of time left for leadership here...or in some other municipality.
In my opinion, Woglom has been an excellent borough manager. He’s served with distinction for 20 years and I would hate to see him leave. We’ll just have to stay tuned.
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith
PS. I learned recently that Ann Hellman’s cousin was sworn in as a United State Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA. Edwin G. Foulke’s family resides in Perkasie.