LETTER: Sajone responds to accusations of mismanagement at borough hall
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL FILE - Tony Sajone shortly after he was hired as borough supervisor/manager in 2020.
By Tony Sajone
I am writing to address the false accusations being circulated by Mr. Cadau and certain Borough Council members regarding the alleged mismanagement of Borough funds during my time as Shenandoah Borough Manager. I feel it is important to set the record straight because the accusations are completely baseless and have already harmed my reputation and credibility in the community. I am concerned that by remaining silent these lies will continue.
At the council’s meeting of January, 2025 Mr. Cadau stated that money was misappropriated resulting in the non-payment of a PPL bill in the amount of $103,030.00. This accusation is simply untrue. The PPL bill in question relates to the amount owed for the operation of streetlights throughout the Borough. In late 2023, PPL converted the Borough’s streetlights to LED lighting. Prior to the conversion, the Borough was billed by PPL on a monthly basis for the streetlights. After the conversion, PPL created a new account for the streetlights but listed the address as “LED LIGHTS-UNKNOWN STREET NAME,” resulting in the invoices not being delivered. Eventually, PPL discovered the oversight, contacted me and the issue was rectified.
I immediately informed council president, Joe Boris of the issue and he authorized me to pay the bill. The bill was then paid in full. I must also note that the bill for streetlights is one of nineteen (19) PPL bills the Borough receives on a monthly basis. Conveniently, Mr. Cadau and the council failed to mention the fact that the Borough never received a streetlight invoice, nor the fact that all other PPL bills were paid in a timely manner throughout the year
Mr. Cadau also stated it was a misappropriation of Borough funds to pay the PPL bill for streetlighting from the liquid fuels account. This statement by Mr. Cadau highlights his inexperience and ignorance in the matter of handling municipal affairs as it is entirely appropriate to pay for the electricity used to operate traffic signals and streetlights out of the liquid fuels account. In fact, the use of liquid fuels money for streetlighting has been past practice in Shenandoah, as well as many other municipalities.
Mr. Cadau also stated that the Borough entered 2024 with a “minus budget” of approximately $661,445.00. Again, this is merely meant to mislead the public. If I recall correctly, the budget deficit was mainly due to costs associated with maintaining a 45-year-old sewer plant, engineering fees, and other unanticipated costs. During my time at the Borough, we implemented policies and procedures to ensure that the Borough’s financial house was in order. There were no monies borrowed, nor services denied due to the budget deficit, as the funds were in place to cover the unexpected expenditures.
The bills were paid in a timely manner, and all incoming revenue and expenditures were accounted for. Every year the Borough’s finances were audited by Mr. Samuel Deegan, CPA and at no time did he find irregularities, inappropriate expenditures, or misappropriated fundings. Unfortunately for the Borough, Mr. Deegan abruptly quit as the Borough Auditor while working on the 2024 audit with Mr. Cadau.
Mr. Cadau also stated that the Borough’s financial situation is “incredibly broken” due to “freelance spending.” The fact of the matter is that the Borough has operated in the black every year since I began my tenure, including 2024. This was accomplished without the benefit of the 6.3 million-dollar cushion the Borough now enjoys from the sale of MABS. As of January 2, 2024, my last day, there was roughly $150,000 in the Tax Receiver Account, at least another $50,000 in the General Fund, as well as additional available funds in several other accounts for use for operating expenses. As Administrator of the Sewer Authority, I set aside over $500,000 in a Capital Improvement Fund, to be used in the event of an emergency, in addition to the Sewer Revenue Fund, which usually contains between $600,000 and $700,000.
If anyone engaged in “freelance spending,” it was the current majority on Council. If you examine this year’s meeting minutes, you’ll find me asking at almost every meeting, “where is the money going to come from?”
At the February Sewer meeting, Mr. Cadau, again, blatantly lied about the financing for the new sewer plant. The interim loan was not “called in” by the bank, as Cadau claims. A new interim agreement was needed because the terms of the original interim loan expired as of October 31, 2024. The loan payments were made on a quarterly basis since the onset of the agreement, again, contrary to Mr. Cadau’s claim that only one payment was made since 2020.
Additionally, Attorney Paul Datte, SMSA Engineer, Chris McCoach, of Benesch, the SMSA solicitor, and I have met with USDA officials monthly for the last four years to move forward with the project. The delay in the construction of the plant is due to bureaucratic red tape, nothing more.
The public can easily check the veracity of the facts I presented by requesting copies of the borough bank statements, which are public record. If you are refused access to these records, file a Right-to-Know request. I also urge residents to go to meetings and ask questions.
Simply stated, Mr. Cadau and certain members of council, with the assistance of their online surrogates, are publicly engaging in a coordinated practice of distorting or omitting facts, innuendo, false accusations, personal attacks, and outright lies to slander and defame my name and reputation. These well-coordinated attacks against me serve merely as a smokescreen to distract from the employment of backroom political deals and cronyism in the hiring of Mr. Cadau. Wouldn’t it be in the best interest of the Borough for council to advertise for the position of Borough Manager, interview the most qualified candidates, and then hire the best person based on their credentials and qualifications? Minersville and Ashland recently did just that.
The same tactics were employed in attempts to smear and malign our former Code Enforcement. Mark Pronio’s name and reputation. Mr. Pronio chose to leave Borough employment rather than keep dealing with the constant attacks, with the Borough losing the most productive, proactive, and dedicated Code Officer that this town has ever employed. In fact, since Mr. Pronio left, there has not been a single Code citation filed with the Magistrate’s Office.
The job of running the Borough is a daunting task, with a multitude of responsibilities and duties. Each day brings new challenges, new problems to face, and the tasks can be overwhelming at times. I was committed to the job and, while certainly not perfect, every decision and action was made with the best interests of the town and its residents.
While I’m sure these attacks will continue, I stand by my record and am thankful for the hard work and dedication of those that keep the wheels turning: Cassie Krise, Maria Ruiz, Arielle Pautz, Catherine Alix and Jen Gutierrez in the office, as well as all the guys out in the field and at the plant. Mark Pronio for all his hard work and the Shenandoah Police for all they do to keep the town safe. I genuinely believe that “we,” as a collective, made Shenandoah a better place for all residents and I wish nothing but the best for Shenandoah and its residents.
Sincerely,
Tony Sajone
Sajone served as Shenandoah’s Borough Manager from May 2020 until January 2025.
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