Dubois mayor

[Constitutionalist]

So I see in the joint board meeting the city controller questioned why the invoice for the mayors conference included paying for his wife to go. 
 

great question… why should the tax payers be footing the bill for non city employees? 

the city also paid $20/hr for summer help making $15/hr.. where did we get all this extra money to be wasting? 
 

Don’t worry folks! Vote for the same and we will keep getting the same! I told everyone this before the primaries. Don’t vote for whose currently on the boards.. 

oh and let’s not forget about that tax increase coming for sandy township! 
 

you got what you voted for! 

[BillyC]

I don't think she went.

[Constitutionalist]

Then why would there be an invoice suggesting so? If she didn’t go, why the charges? Even more outrageous 

[disgruntled]

56 minutes ago, Constitutionalist said:

Then why would there be an invoice suggesting so? If she didn’t go, why the charges? Even more outrageous 

Did he take a "friend"? 

[Petee]

13 hours ago, Constitutionalist said:

So I see in the joint board meeting the city controller questioned why the invoice for the mayors conference included paying for his wife to go. 
 

great question… why should the tax payers be footing the bill for non city employees? 

the city also paid $20/hr for summer help making $15/hr.. where did we get all this extra money to be wasting? 
 

Don’t worry folks! Vote for the same and we will keep getting the same! I told everyone this before the primaries. Don’t vote for whose currently on the boards.. 

oh and let’s not forget about that tax increase coming for sandy township! 
 

you got what you voted for! 

Lovely!  I said I was afraid of losing our home because of a tax increase!!!  How do people in our age group, who scraped and did without to build a home find all this extra money?  It was a LIE from the beginning as has always happened.

[BillyC]

Thinking back on this. I'm still not sure she went. HOWEVER. Why is Volpe all of a sudden looking at invoices to be paid? Because now he's running for council? Why in the world did he let all the invoices from the Suplizio/Cherry regime just get stamped through?

[Petee]

2 hours ago, BillyC said:

Thinking back on this. I'm still not sure she went. HOWEVER. Why is Volpe all of a sudden looking at invoices to be paid? Because now he's running for council? Why in the world did he let all the invoices from the Suplizio/Cherry regime just get stamped through?

Excellent question.  No one from that administration should be on the next one.

[Constitutionalist]

3 hours ago, Petee said:

Excellent question.  No one from that administration should be on the next one.

I said this way back at primary time.. starting new means NEW.. new everyone

[Keyser Soze]

On 9/24/2025 at 8:23 AM, Constitutionalist said:

 

oh and let’s not forget about that tax increase coming for sandy township! 
 

you got what you voted for! 

The possible tax increase is because the tax rates need to be equalize for the new city which would result in DuBois paying the same tax rate and Sandy's rising to equal what DuBois residents are paying now. 

The way to avoid a tax rate is to set the rate lower to what Sandy's tax rate is now which would give DuBois residents a tax reduction.  This process would cause a budget deficit. Cuts would have to be made in services offered by the new city.

The budget is still a work in progress. 

[Constitutionalist]

1 hour ago, Keyser Soze said:

The possible tax increase is because the tax rates need to be equalize for the new city which would result in DuBois paying the same tax rate and Sandy's rising to equal what DuBois residents are paying now. 

The way to avoid a tax rate is to set the rate lower to what Sandy's tax rate is now which would give DuBois residents a tax reduction.  This process would cause a budget deficit. Cuts would have to be made in services offered by the new city.

The budget is still a work in progress. 

Well you are correct. And how couldn’t the new city run on a tax decrease? There’s literally double if everything. 
 

there won’t be a need to pay two city managers when this is all said and done. (I know it’s a firm right now) 

rheres equipment that both the city and township have that can be downsized and save money. 
 

there’s salaries of employees that are double. (Each municipal employees can be mergers into one position) 

 

so no.. I don’t buy the whole raise taxes to equal because of x y z.. this process should result in a tax decrease. 
 

again.. we were lied to

[Keyser Soze]

3 hours ago, Constitutionalist said:

 

 

 I don’t buy the whole raise taxes to equal because of x y z.. this process should result in a tax decrease. 
 

again.. we were lied to

Here are the tax saving estimates that were done from the consolidation study in 2020. The tax savings were never that much. Plus since that time, inflation would have done away with the estimated savings.

[Petee]

This comes down to fraud in order to get Sandy Township voters to swallow the story.  During the campaigning to get votes, it was always said that Sandy Township's taxes would go down and DuBois would go up to cover their debts.  So, are Sandy Township voters getting the dubious honor of paying off the city's debt?  Sandy was in the black and DuBois was seriously in the red.

When we did the petition they asked for the consolidation to be suspended till the financial problems of DuBois were settled which includes the bill from Herm's court trial.  Who is paying for that?

[Ignatius]

10 hours ago, Petee said:

This comes down to fraud in order to get Sandy Township voters to swallow the story.  During the campaigning to get votes, it was always said that Sandy Township's taxes would go down and DuBois would go up to cover their debts.  So, are Sandy Township voters getting the dubious honor of paying off the city's debt?  Sandy was in the black and DuBois was seriously in the red.

When we did the petition they asked for the consolidation to be suspended till the financial problems of DuBois were settled which includes the bill from Herm's court trial.  Who is paying for that?

Fraud is a very strong term; however, it might be very appropriate to describe how we got to where we are.  Stronger action may be called for, to delay the consolidation until some of the unknowns are answered.

I inquired a year or so ago, of several city officials about how valid the consolidation is, because of issues that have become known.  The response I received, was the consolidation cannot be undone for a period of ten years.  The question remains, does that apply only for consolidations for which both sides came to the table clean?  

[Petee]

That's the problem, a clean jointure of two clearly consenting communities with good positive ties would probably be a good thing.  However, this was not the case.  All history warned against it being done without great care and preparation.  Money seemed to be the highest goal, not living conditions.

The continued squabbling and apparent inability to discuss calmly and VERY openly seem to continue to be a sore spot not to be solved.  

Where do we find grown ups, capable of making fair adult, agreed on decisions.  Whether reasonable or not, I do not safe, especially in light of the way the waterfall collapse was communicated.  We need someone who does not think that their PRESENCE on the Board is more important than the welfare of the weakest citizen.

I voted no from the very beginning, and as it developed it was looking worse and worse.  Now the fruit is beginning to show and it still has rotten spots.  It should NEVER have been called DuBois although I love that name.  I think John DuBois would have heartily agreed.  However, was it voted on?   Why are people who were involved in the takeover still involved?  I would love to see highly educated people from the needed variety of skills, well thought of in the community or outside of it, thoroughly investigated and vetted by the community by at least an 80-90% favorable opinion to be appointed (not voted in) to the board, with the stipulation that a 50% recall would remove them from the board.

[DS58]

48 minutes ago, Petee said:

That's the problem, a clean jointure of two clearly consenting communities with good positive ties would probably be a good thing.  However, this was not the case.  All history warned against it being done without great care and preparation.  Money seemed to be the highest goal, not living conditions.

The continued squabbling and apparent inability to discuss calmly and VERY openly seem to continue to be a sore spot not to be solved.  

Where do we find grown ups, capable of making fair adult, agreed on decisions.  Whether reasonable or not, I do not safe, especially in light of the way the waterfall collapse was communicated.  We need someone who does not think that their PRESENCE on the Board is more important than the welfare of the weakest citizen.

I voted no from the very beginning, and as it developed it was looking worse and worse.  Now the fruit is beginning to show and it still has rotten spots.  It should NEVER have been called DuBois although I love that name.  I think John DuBois would have heartily agreed.  However, was it voted on?   Why are people who were involved in the takeover still involved?  I would love to see highly educated people from the needed variety of skills, well thought of in the community or outside of it, thoroughly investigated and vetted by the community by at least an 80-90% favorable opinion to be appointed (not voted in) to the board, with the stipulation that a 50% recall would remove them from the board.

Petee, a 50% threshold for recall would be a deal killer for anyone qualified with the ambition to sit on the board.   If you ask 100 people downtown about any subject ( is the sky blue ? ) in this climate you”ll get 55% say no, 35% will say yes and 10% will say what sky?    Sad but it’s what we have become.  Glad i’m on the downhill slide… feel sorry for the next couple generations who will be left with nothing that resembles our once great nation.  Can only hope that it turns around. 

[Keyser Soze]

2 hours ago, Ignatius said:

 

  The response I received, was the consolidation cannot be undone for a period of ten years.  

There’s currently no way for municipalities to disincorporate.

But Pa. law allows a municipality to terminate itself in its current form by merging or consolidating with another municipality or municipalities. So the only way to change DuBois is to consolidate with a neighboring municipality.

You cannot have a ballot question to change back to the previous Sandy/DuBois governments.

[Constitutionalist]

And they knew this when the wool was pulled over everyone’s eyes. Say what you need to get the votes, and then the truth comes out. 
 

the truth is, Dubois was in trouble, and needed sandy to bail them out. They were land locked and couldn’t do anything… where’s most of the industry and commercial buildings at? They finally found a time when enough people have moved or died off that they can get the votes of people who don’t know better.. 

[Ignatius]

39 minutes ago, Keyser Soze said:

There’s currently no way for municipalities to disincorporate.

But Pa. law allows a municipality to terminate itself in its current form by merging or consolidating with another municipality or municipalities. So the only way to change DuBois is to consolidate with a neighboring municipality.

You cannot have a ballot question to change back to the previous Sandy/DuBois governments.

The "10-year period" was told to me by a member of the DuBois Council.

[Keyser Soze]

10 minutes ago, Ignatius said:

The "10-year period" was told to me by a member of the DuBois Council.

Most of the council thought that. The consolidation law only has provisions to consolidate. Sen Dush wants to add a provision (Bill 764) to allow a pause if wrong doing is suspected in future consolidations. He received some  suggestions from local officials to reword a few sentences in his proposal. It was still in committee as of today.

[Pappy]

On 10/1/2025 at 10:10 AM, Keyser Soze said:

The possible tax increase is because the tax rates need to be equalize for the new city which would result in DuBois paying the same tax rate and Sandy's rising to equal what DuBois residents are paying now. 

The way to avoid a tax rate is to set the rate lower to what Sandy's tax rate is now which would give DuBois residents a tax reduction.  This process would cause a budget deficit. Cuts would have to be made in services offered by the new city.

The budget is still a work in progress. 

The way this could have been avoided is not to have voted for consolidation in the first place. I said this before that tax rates would go up for Sandy residents. I for one was opposed to it. I ended up selling my properties in Sandy township and am glad I did. So to all those that wanted it well you will get what you voted for. 

Dubois was nothing but a money pit. Sandy township had the most to lose and it looks like it will. So good luck to the all the Sandy residents and bend over and grab your ankles. 

[Keyser Soze]

7 hours ago, Pappy said:

The way this could have been avoided is not to have voted for consolidation in the first place. I said this before that tax rates would go up for Sandy residents. I for one was opposed to it. I ended up selling my properties in Sandy township and am glad I did. So to all those that wanted it well you will get what you voted for. 

Dubois was nothing but a money pit. Sandy township had the most to lose and it looks like it will. So good luck to the all the Sandy residents and bend over and grab your ankles. 

If there would of been no consolidation the tax & sewage rates would have gone up in Sandy Township anyway. Who do you think asked the County Commissioners to change the pre-determined ratio to 50%?

[Ignatius]

DuBois and Sandy should have moved in together, prior to tying the knot.  Maybe work out arrangements for police, water & sewage?    

[Lizard]

Just need to quit spending on infrastructure that isn't needed i.e. waterfalls, roundabouts, sports, excessive government spending that yields nothing in return (mayor conference). In a good consolidation costs should go down, not up. Services should be combined and reduced cost.

[Constitutionalist]

53 minutes ago, Lizard said:

Just need to quit spending on infrastructure that isn't needed i.e. waterfalls, roundabouts, sports, excessive government spending that yields nothing in return (mayor conference). In a good consolidation costs should go down, not up. Services should be combined and reduced cost.

There it is! Applause 👏 

[Seadog]

Ceremonial Monument Coming to DuBois – Connect FM | Local News Radio | Dubois, PA

Hey, it's only $15K and the money is 'left over' from Community Days! Besides, you can be taxed more!