Intelligencer Editorial - Warrington Mismanagement

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Intelligencer Editorial - Warrington Mismanagement
By Carol T. Baker, Warrington Township
Oct 21, 2005, 8:59am

The controversy in Warrington over an incentive program for our firefighters has all the elements of the political culture of mismanagement that has permeated Warrington for some time. I am referring to the problem concerning the unauthorized spending by our fire marshal on an incentives program to reward firefighters. The fact that he submitted bills that were approved and signed off by the township is indicative of the lax oversight that prevails with this administration. Warrington should have procedures in place to notify all employees of changes in department budgets with a warning that any unauthorized expenses as of that date will not be reimbursed. This would insure that everyone was alerted to any liability on his part. Good procedures delineate accountability. This incident is indicative of the way Warrington is run. There is no leadership, no planning and no accountability- all the elements that led up to the present problem. It is time to take some time out and re-evaluate the direction that the township is taking.
There is no reason to believe that the fire marshal did anything more than exercise poor judgement; however, no matter how right or heartfelt the cause, he should realized that one cannot allocate funds without the consent of the supervisors.
Whatever the outcome, Warrington should move quickly to resolve the issue of incentive rewards for our volunteer fire fighters. With the rampant, high-density housing development that Warrington is experiencing, we need to be sure that we have a fully functioning and manned fire company. It has been four months since the program was suspended. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out whether this relatively inexpensive program is needed. These are courageous volunteers who risk their lives for the safety of our community. It is a job that few people want or are prepared to do. The very least we owe them is a speedy resolution of this matter.

Carol T. Baker