South Fayette residents outraged after commissioners spend nearly $10,000 on retreat at lavish resort
SOUTH FAYETTE, Pa. (KDKA) — Residents are outraged after South Fayette commissioners spent nearly $10,000 on a "strategic planning retreat" at a lavish resort.
Four of the five township commissioners and their spouses took part in a two-day planning retreat at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort.
Angry residents are calling the retreat a tax-payer-funded vacation after the trip cost the township $8,343, which included food and beverage and accommodations for four commissioners, the township manager, the township consultant and most of the spouses.
In a statement to KDKA-TV, the township said it did nothing wrong. The township did confirm the meeting was held and said the session was advertised to the public in accordance with the Sunshine Law.
Residents said while that is true, the announcement was made two days prior to the planning session and only advertised in the local paper, not giving anyone enough time to make the 2 1/2 trip to Bedford.
The two main questions the people of South Fayette had is why the commissioners had to go out of the township for a meeting when there are plenty of nice accommodations in the community and why should the taxpayers have to foot the bill for the spouses.
"If they are that fiscally responsible, what else have they done?" resident Sherry Korczynski said.
"First off, they should apologize to the people of South Fayette," resident Mike Mikus said. "Then they should pay back the taxpayers. And after that, the only good thing they could do is resign from office because this is a disgrace. It's just so disappointing."
Lisa Malosh, the only commissioner who did not attend, told KDKA-TV in a statement:
"I attempted to share my concerns in response to two emails we received from the township manager in December but was met with little or no response from the board members. I feel that it was an egregious waste of taxpayers' money and township resources."