SUNBURY – Seven Northumberland County employees will be looking for a job at the end of June. Commissioners voted 2-1 Tuesday to eliminate the Department of Weatherization with Rick Shoch voting against the measure.
Commissioners will recommend to the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) that weatherization services for the county be handled by SEDA-COG.
Chairman Vinny Clausi said the move would eliminate the administrative costs associated with the office. Rick Shoch disagreed saying, “That is all paid for through the state contract so we don’t even pay for the salaries of those employees. That comes out of the state grant. This is not affecting our budget, really, at all.”
According to Shoch, the office closure represents political retribution rather than the interests of Northumberland county voters. “They stood up to him and Vinnie, when people stand up to him likes to send a message that there’s a price to be paid for that. Today, unfortunately, they had to pay that.”
The weatherization office will close June 30, 2015. (Jennifer Wakeman)