Pocono News Section

I-Team looks into Rush Township land purchase

I-Team looks into Rush Township land purchase - Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 04:22AM EST

Reported by: Mike Trim
Thursday May 13 2010
0/ 5 rating A concerned group of citizens have concerns over a land purchase in Rush Township, Schuylkill County. l

A 90 thousand dollar plot of land apparently has no use next to the Rush Township municipal building.

The I-Team is investigating the purchase of the land and it's future use.

J ohn Schickram of Hometown says supervisors aren't answering questions.

Schickram told the I-Team, "To take that money. I mean this is a mismanagement of funds, this is the way I feel."

A group of Hometown neighbors wants the township to reveal their plans for this property.

Records obtained by the I-Team show it was bought back in 2006.

This house used to sit here, but it was knocked down last week.

It's the first movement neighbors have seen here since the land was purchased.

Joseph Shamonsky of Hometown said, "It's a beautiful building if somebody would have followed up, fixed it up and took care of it. they bought it and let it set there."

For months the I-Team has reached out to the township for information but no one agreed to answer our questions about the property or the purchase.

We went to the municipal building looking for answers Thursday.

We were told the supervisors weren't available for an interview.

This group is also worried about where this money came from to purchase this property.

Records obtained by the I-Team show the money was transferred from a sewer authority account to the township fund.

Some say that's a violation of township code.

Bank records obtained by the I-Team show the money's paper trail.

They show rate payers money from the rush township hometown sewer account was used to buy the property.

Jeaninne Matroni of Hometown said, "They just seem to think that they can do whatever they feel like doing and their thought is who's going to stop us."

Rush Township announced earlier this year it was increasing sewer rates in Hometown.

The group i spoke with says that might not have been necessary if not for this 2006 land purchase.

We don't know if that is the case.

We still have not heard anything from the supervisors or the township solicitor.