Forward Twp. report explains payroll issues

Secretary Karen Stetor examined payroll figures dating back to December.

For the first time in months, Monday’s meeting in Forward Township didn’t end with Chairman Tom DeRosa banging his gavel — and a few questions raised last month regarding the township’s payroll were amicably cleared up.

DeRosa said he put a payroll update under new business to be discussed after Supervisor Dave Levdansky questioned the township’s payroll expenses.

At the June meeting, Levdansky asked why the township’s payroll had been steadily increasing over the past several months.

Levdansky said that in December, a month before he was sworn in as a supervisor, the payroll was $14,289. In January, after 5% budgeted increases were approved for staff, that number increased to $16,828.

In March, Levdansky said payroll was $17,543 and increased again in April to $17,811 before jumping to more than $20,000 in May.

Secretary Karen Stetor was asked to compile a detailed report for the township’s payroll expenses, which she presented to each supervisor ahead of Monday’s meeting.

The numbers Levdansky referenced were included in that report, and while they were accurate, they included transfers into the payroll account from the general fund and did not solely reflect increases to the township’s gross payroll expenses.

DeRosa asked Levdansky if he had questions after reviewing the report, but because he received it while he was out of town, he didn’t have time to review it ahead of the meeting.

“I was out of town when I received it on Friday and did not have a chance to look at it, but I will review it and get back in touch,” Levdansky said.

Stetor said she wanted to provide a public summary Monday and told Levdansky he could still reach out with questions if he had any.

“Now, what was being questioned was payroll, but those amounts were total transfers for anything to do with (the) payroll (account),” she said.

Stetor briefly went over expenses month to month, including transfers into the payroll account from December through May.

In addition to transfers, which led to the totals Levdansky referenced, payroll was largely consistent.

Per the report Stetor provided to supervisors, in November and December of 2023 biweekly payroll was about $10,000.

In January, the first round of checks were also about $10,000 but then increased to $13,000 for the second pay of the month after raises were approved and overtime was used for snow plowing.

Payroll returned to around $10,500 bi-weekly in February and remained roughly the same in March and April before it increased to $11,000 the first pay of May. It returned to about $10,600 for the second pay in May and was $10,800 for the third pay period that month.

In May, there were three checks distributed because of how payroll fell, being distributed every two weeks.

Stetor said one of the months was higher because of a threemonth back payment reimbursement for Medicare insurance, but now monthly payments of $1,200 will resume on schedule.

In March and April, Stetor transferred around $2,000 into the payroll account from the general fund for reimbursements.

DeRosa said the report proves that payroll is on track.

“There is no discrepancy in the payroll in Forward Township,” DeRosa said. “Last month it caused a firestorm. Everyone was talking about it on Facebook, and most of them don’t even live here in Forward. So many people are worried about Forward Township, it’s amazing, but no one from here commented on those, but that’s just stories because I don’t read that trash.”

He said Levdansky should have brought his questions to Stetor to be handled directly rather than getting the public riled up over nothing.

“If you have a problem like that, it would be better to come here and talk to Karen, it could have been settled in five minutes,” DeRosa said.

Levdansky said while he had not had time to review the report, Stetor’s summary makes sense and appears to have answered all the questions he had.

“I don’t do Facebook and so I could care less what is on it,” Levdansky said. “My questions are answered simply by having this document. By reading this I can see why.

“I thank you Karen for putting this together, it’s very informative. It helps me, but also anyone who has any questions so we can have our concerns for the most part answered.”

The township recently began providing printed expense reports to the public at meetings, along with an agenda and the monthly police report from the Elizabeth Township Police Department.

One resident asked if revenue could also be included in printed reports, for taxpayers to see what money is coming in to the township, as well as money being spent each month and where that lines up with the township’s budget projections.

Levdansky supports that idea, saying he feels it’s important information to share but DeRosa said that information is always available, but no one ever seems to ask for it.

“That’s available anytime they want it,” DeRosa said. “It’s been there for 30 years and no one seems to want it.”

Supervisor Dave Magiske said the township is expecting its final 2023 audit report any day, and it will be made available to the public for review.

“An important thing to remember here, after receiving the draft audit from our CPA, it is the 18th time I have reviewed an audit for this township and every time there has never been an issue about payroll,” Magiske said. “That is again, 18 times a CPA has said ‘You are clean.’

“When it (the audit) comes in, we will make that available to you.”

While that would be helpful, Levdansky said it doesn’t provide the entire picture residents are asking to see.

Levdansky said an audit takes all revenues and expenditures and puts them into annual dollar figures to provide an understanding of those transactions throughout the year, but it doesn’t provide more detailed insight.

“It (the audit) aggregates all the numbers for the year, but it does not tell you what is going on month to month or even quarter to quarter,” he said.

Stetor said all the township’s financial information is public record and if someone has a question or would like to review a monthly statement or report, they can stop by to ask.

“We will give anyone the information they need or want to see, but no one ever does,” she said. “Everything is here.”

Before the meeting adjourned, Levdansky asked to speak but was abruptly stopped by DeRosa who told him anything he wanted to say should have been officially added to the agenda.

DeRosa and Levdansky have butted heads during past meetings over agenda items being added at the last minute.

This time, Levdansky’s comment was not an agenda or discussion item, but rather a statement thanking the township for sending flowers to his late mother’s funeral and planting a tree in her name.

“Tom, I just want to thank you and the staff and residents for the thoughtfulness of when you sent flowers when my mother passes away a few weeks ago,” Levdansky said. “You all sent my mother’s some flowers and I wanted to thank you for that. I also got this notification that you have also planted a tree in her memory, and just wanted to express a thank you for that expression of sympathy.”

The township also announced that the second show in its concert series will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. July 19 at Gallatin Sunnyside Park. Southern Draw will perform, and admission and parking are free. Concessions will be available, and guests should bring lawn chairs.