Muncy Township supervisors say they must meet payroll obligations by Thursday for township employees including police and road maintenance crew.

That has been made an urgent challenge with the departure before this year of the office manager, Gwen Pidcoe, the three supervisors acknowledged this week.

Township supervisors held what they described as special/emergency meetings Monday and Tuesday nights this week to hire a tax service and a secretary treasurer.

During Tuesday’s meeting, former Lycoming County Controller Krista Rogers was hired as a temporary secretary treasurer.

With agendas posted on the front door, newly-elected supervisor Terri Lauchle, board chair; Denise Artley, vice chair, and Heath Ohnmeiss held the meetings at the township building in Pennsdale.

Artley, acting as temporary clerk, read aloud its purpose and what would be done on Tuesday night. Artley asked for the roll call and noted a quorum was present.

“A special meeting was duly advertised and being held for the limited purposes of ensuring continuity of township payroll and essential administrative operations due to the current administrative vacancy,” Artley said. “Because this is a special meeting with a limited advertised purpose, there will be no public comment this evening.”

That drew an immediate response from one man in the room who read from a sub-section of state Open Meetings law, which said a board or council has to permit public input in any special or regular public meeting.

“You have to accept comments,” he said. “You can limit them but you have to accept them.”

Artley declared that the board moves “to authorize temporary payroll and payroll tax services through Snyder’s Accounting and Tax Services, Turbotville, at a rate of $75 per month for the limited purpose of ensuring continuity of township operations.”

Artley said it is “not $12,900, so you do not have to have other bids.”

Payroll is not an emergency situation, a resident replied.

Lauchle and Artley voted yes for the treasurer service, but Ohnmeiss voted no and explained his reason.

“No, because the meeting was not published in a newspaper as required,” he said. “That is state law and there has to be public comment allowed at a special meeting.”

The staff, he said, at Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors spoke with him for over a half hour indicating as much.

Lauchle said the “motion is limited to payroll and payroll tax processing only and does not extend to clerical staffing or administrative decision making which remains subject to future board action. The board is continuing to evaluate temporary and permanent administrative staffing options and we’ll address those matters at a future public meeting.”

“The acting clerk is directed to prepare minutes reflecting the actions taken this evening. Is there a motion to adjourn?”Lauchle asked. Artley said yes, Lauchle yes, and Ohnmeiss no.

“Was this particular company that you hired the personal friend of Ann Smith (tax collector)?” a resident asked. “Is it because of that since you passed over three certified public accountants and companies right here in our own township?”

Artley said she did not look into that.

“So, you just took it as a recommendation?” the woman asked Artley.

“No, I didn’t take this for a recommendation from anybody,” she said.

“Then how did you get this one?” the woman asked.

“I found it,” Artley said.

After the meeting, the supervisors confirmed that the reorganization meeting occurred Jan. 5, but matters were “tabled,” supervisors told the Sun-Gazette.

All three expressed immediate concern to meet payroll for police and two on the highway/road maintenance crew.

Additionally, the supervisors held the Monday night meeting without the presence of their solicitor, Perciballi and Williams.