Borough of Leetsdale turns over document
By Michael Pound | Beaver County Times
LEETSDALE — It took about two weeks, but two Leetsdale residents have received documents they formally requested from the borough, despite initial reluctance from a councilman to providing the information.
Joe McGurk had asked for a copy of a statement that was read aloud at the September Leetsdale Council meeting by Mike Bajsec, who went over preliminary results of an audit he requested after residents leveled charges of financial and ethical improprieties.
McGurk said he received the document last week, a day after Bajsec said he didn’t think Pennsylvania’s open-records law required him to hand it over. Bajsec also said at the time he was leaning toward releasing it anyway.
Joe and his wife, Judy, filed a written request for the copy on Sept. 15, but by last week, their request had not been filled or denied. The state’s open-records law states that a municipality has five business days to fill a request or deny it. It can also request a 30-day extension.
Leetsdale secretary Elizabeth Petalino, who serves as the borough’s open-records officer, ruled that the document was public, but said she didn’t have access to it because it was in Basjec’s possession.
Bajsec said last week he was checking to see whether he could legally hand over the statement he read; documents that include information about ongoing audits can be an exception to the open-records law.
LEETSDALE — It took about two weeks, but two Leetsdale residents have received documents they formally requested from the borough, despite initial reluctance from a councilman to providing the information.
Joe McGurk had asked for a copy of a statement that was read aloud at the September Leetsdale Council meeting by Mike Bajsec, who went over preliminary results of an audit he requested after residents leveled charges of financial and ethical improprieties.
McGurk said he received the document last week, a day after Bajsec said he didn’t think Pennsylvania’s open-records law required him to hand it over. Bajsec also said at the time he was leaning toward releasing it anyway.
Joe and his wife, Judy, filed a written request for the copy on Sept. 15, but by last week, their request had not been filled or denied. The state’s open-records law states that a municipality has five business days to fill a request or deny it. It can also request a 30-day extension.
Leetsdale secretary Elizabeth Petalino, who serves as the borough’s open-records officer, ruled that the document was public, but said she didn’t have access to it because it was in Basjec’s possession.
Bajsec said last week he was checking to see whether he could legally hand over the statement he read; documents that include information about ongoing audits can be an exception to the open-records law.
