Matt Skoufalos
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Comments
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On the article What’s the Going Rate for a Lawn Service in Collingswood?
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On the article 'Team Collingswood' Sweeps as Challengers' Bids Fall Short
Matt Skoufalos
12:43 am on Thursday, May 16, 2013
ReplyWhoa gang, let's dial it back. We can't have that stuff in here. Please find a way to make your point without personal attacks.
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On the article Collingswood Election Results
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On the article What Is Net Debt and How Does It Affect Collingswood's Financial Picture?
Matt Skoufalos
1:54 am on Saturday, May 11, 2013
Well, would you believe the state of New Jersey, because I linked to it above:
40A:2-44. Deductions from gross debts (i.e., things that get you to that net debt number)
http://law.onecle.com/new-jersey/40a-municipalities-and-counties/2-44.html
"40A:2-44. There shall be deducted from the gross debt of the local unit, to the extent included therein, the amount of bonds or notes issued and authorized but not issued: c. for purposes which are self-liquidating as provided in this chapter."
Self-liquidating:
http://statutes.laws.com/new-jersey/title-40a/section-40a-2/40a-2-47
These are state statutes. Any issue with this being a legal mechanism is not a matter of opinion, it's written into law.
Furthermore, what incentive to distort things? You believe that a guy who has an established auditing practice for years with multiple local governments—whose career carries really stiff legal penalties for lying—is going to stake his professional reputation on an article in "a small-time news website"?
You want to poke holes in the reporting because you disagree with the conclusion, have fun with that. But your own argument isn't even internally consistent.
And by the way, even with our "limited resources," this is the only reporting around on the subject.
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On the article Letter: Valuable Collingswood Land Sold for a Song
Matt Skoufalos
12:00 am on Friday, May 10, 2013
Thanks for weighing in. You can read my explanation below.
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On the article What Is Net Debt and How Does It Affect Collingswood's Financial Picture?
Matt Skoufalos
9:35 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
If you're interested in the most up-to-date information, all the ELEC reports for 2013 are supposed to be on the Election Commission website Thursday after 10 a.m.
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On the article What Is Net Debt and How Does It Affect Collingswood's Financial Picture?
Matt Skoufalos
9:19 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
So the problem is that we spoke to someone who is *too* familiar with the specific financials of the borough? Wouldn't a more likely argument be that someone who has been a public auditor for 43 years would have raised a flag about these things somewhere along the way, were they dangerous, rather than compromise his reputation—and additional business—for failing to prevent a problem?
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On the article 308 Local Runners Cross the Broad Street Run Finish Line
Matt Skoufalos
5:14 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The community would only focus on "who beat whom" if the community chose to interpret the information that way. If you want to exult in their accomplishments, that's probably a healthier way to regard this information.
But a slow news day? When 308 members of a Patch town do anything, it's news.
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On the article What Is Net Debt and How Does It Affect Collingswood's Financial Picture?
Matt Skoufalos
3:30 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
On this subject, we wanted to get someone with the most intimate knowledge of the borough's bookkeeping practices. I understand that there is some self-interest on the part of Mr. Petroni because of course he doesn't provide this service for free. But truly, we wanted an explanation of the mechanism of net debt calculation, and I feel like he was suited to provide some context in the specific details of Collingswood. I know that Mr. Petroni also provides this service for several other municipal governments, so it's not like he is ignorant of the mechanics in other circumstances.
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On the article North Atlantic Ave. Paving to Wrap by Saturday
Matt Skoufalos
1:20 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Hi Walt,
I think the issue with North Atlantic isn't necessarily that it's a very highly trafficked road. It's mostly a parking lot, truly, but one that gets a ton of use. Of course any signage is going to be built into the cost of roadwork these days, and sure, that's political to some extent. But the state, county, and federal governments all do that, and I'm fairly certain that the borough has its own print shop to make a banner like that in-house, so the dollar amount is likely negligible.
(If you want to, check places like VistaPrint and see what the private-sector costs are for something along those lines, and then ask if it's going to significantly take away from dollars used in a blacktop job.)
By the by, the borough also just got a $200,000 grant to re-pave Comly Ave.
collingswood.patch.com/articles/collingswood-awarded-200k-to-repair-comly-ave
and the county is supposed to take care of the potholes on Browning Rd., according to the commissioners meetings of late.
Matt Skoufalos
1:49 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Shameless plug here for my hard-working friends at A Force of Nature Landscaping:
https://www.facebook.com/AForceOfNatureLandscaping?fref=ts