Dear Editor:
I am a member of the Concerned Taxpayers of Clearfield County Facebook group.
During the 2024 budget process of Clearfield Borough, the proposed revenues for Motor Vehicle Fines and Violations was 50 percent lower than previous years.
Right-to-know requests were submitted to the magistrate, Clearfield Borough Council and the Clearfield Regional Police Department to obtain revenues paid, borough deposits and regional police deposits.
Checks from the magistrate written and submitted to the borough we’re being deposited directly to the Regional Police Account. Title 8 contains the State Code for boroughs.
The code requires the borough treasurer to promptly deposit all checks written to the borough into the designated account. The treasurer is responsible to record all revenues and all expenditures from that account.
The act of passing checks from the magistrate to the regional police is a willful violation of Title 8. These funds were also being illegally diverted from the borough budget as the budget had established the revenues to be paid to the regional police.
The questions is whether or not leadership of Clearfield Borough Council, who are active members of the Police Commission, were instrumental in directing the borough treasurer to perform these illegal activities or did she act alone?
In summary, funds were illegally diverted from the borough accounts and illegally paid to the Regional Police since the inception of the Clearfield Regional Police.
Ironically, Lawrence Township was conducting a similar scheme where 100 percent of the Motor Vehicle Fines and Violations we’re being illegally diverted.
Thank You,
Charles Lefort
Clearfield
