Recent personality conflicts between county officials continued as County Administrator Darlene Dolzani filed a lawsuit against County Controller Melinda Kantner. Kantner, who has also sparred with County Solicitor Eric Mika over parliamentary procedure during Commissioners’ meetings, and the Commissioners’ themselves over paying out a county obligation sans a written contract, has tussled with Dolzani over the past few weeks over county finances. The praecipe for writ of summons filed Friday with the Court of Common Pleas, did not list specifically on what grounds Dolzani is suing.
The courthouse was buzzing with conjecture on Friday and again today. However, no one is really surprised. Sources in the courthouse have explained to The Clarke Report that Dolzani has a combustible personality which erupts if she doesn’t get her way. Former County Coroner David Dutcavich told members of the Green Screen, an internet message board, over the weekend that towards the end of his term he too clashed with Dolzani. Dutcavich explained that Dolzani asked the PA State Police to investigate him over the matter, but they declined.“The Administrator doesn’t like being wrong,” said Dutcavich. ”Combined with my end-of-term experience with her, this new squabble appears to illustrate that when she feels slighted, she retaliates — by launching investigations and litigation.”
Kantner’s issues with Dolzani began in January when Kantner balked at approving Dolzani’s daughter, Tara Shappell, for the newly created $19.25/hour 911 Training and Quality Assurance Manager position. Then, Kantner refused to cut a check for $15,000 to Jeri Stumpf and Associates for work he performed on blighted properties in the county because he did so without a written contract signed by the Commissioners. Finally, Kantner reportedly has denied Dolzani reimbursement for travel expenses incurred on her trip to Michigan in January to deliver a notice of contract termination to New World Inc. over the failed county computer system. One day before Dolzani filed her lawsuit, Kantner issued copies of the county’s travel reimbursement policy that was enacted in 2005 to Dolzani and other county officials, to remind them that original receipts are required to eliminate “double-dipping”, reimbursement for alcoholic beverages are prohibited, worker’s are only permitted $50 in meal allowances daily. Allegedly, Dolzani’s requests have not comported with the policy.
Though Kantner has only been in office for a little over two months, she has been successful in stirring the pot between the row offices. As reported here, she was effectively muzzled by County Solicitor Eric Mika last month at a Commissioner’s workshop meeting when she was warned that if she spoke she would be deemed “out of order” and disciplined accordingly. Also, she has called the Commissioners’ to task for trying to push through a sweetheart deal with Penn State-Schuylkill for the 1912 Rest Haven property. Kantner, a member of North Manheim Township’s planning commission, has publicly inquired as to why North Manheim’s higher offer for the property has been ignored and demanded that it be open for public bid.
6 Comments
March 17, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Good post! I forgot to link to you.
May 5, 2008 at 10:27 am
[...] from Controller’s Office Jump to Comments Over the past few weeks, we have watched the catfight between Schuylkill County Controller Melinda Kantner and County Administrator Darlene Dolzani grow [...]
August 6, 2008 at 1:46 pm
[...] took control of the Board of Commissioners and a majority of the row offices in Schuylkill County, finger pointing and name-calling have become the norm. In the latest episode in this melodrama, Commissioner Francis McAndrew,called [...]
August 28, 2008 at 4:04 pm
[...] took office a little more than 8 months ago, we have been witnesses to political backstabbing and catfights between the “BiPolar Controller” and nearly everyone else in the courthouse. We [...]
December 30, 2008 at 11:52 pm
[...] told to shut the hell up by Chairwoman Gallagher at a Commissioners’ meeting to being sued in court by county administrator Darlene Dolzani (all of which are fellow democrats), not to mention [...]
January 26, 2009 at 12:32 pm
[...] county workshop meetings, telling her that she was to be seen and not heard. Then, Kantner refused to reimburse Gallagher and county administrator Darlene Dolzani for expenses incurred on a trip to Michigan to [...]