SILENT TREATMENT

CHARLEROI -- Charleroi Mayor Frank Paterra has had words with
council, the borough manager and even various borough employees over
the course of his first seven weeks in office. The latest word
apparently is mum.

"I plan not to have a conversation or a meeting with anyone, both the
(police) committee and the council unless they have something to
offer the mayor in reference to increasing the police department,"
Paterra said this week.

Earlier this month, council approved a resolution limiting the total
weekly hours for police to 240 for the six full-time officers,
including the superintendent, and 120 hours for part-time officers.
That move came after Paterra added one additional officer per shift.

At the time, Councilman Ken Laird, chairman of council's police and
finance committees, said police spending in the first five weeks of
the year was approximately $5,000 over budget.

If left unchecked, police expenditures could be more than $50,000
over budget by year's end, Council President Mark Alterici clarified.

The limits cut by half the number of shifts he has scheduled police
since the beginning of the year, Paterra said.

But a survey conducted earlier this month by The Valley Independent
found Charleroi already has set aside a larger percentage of its
overall budget on police than any Mid-Mon Valley community except
Forward Township.

Charleroi budgeted 37.6 percent ($733,294) of its total expenditures
($1,950,721) for 2006 on police -- even before the addition.

Forward Township budgeted $350,074 (40.7 percent) of its $863,240 of
its total budget on police.

Council President Mark Alterici said he has not spoken with the mayor
since the last council meeting so he could not comment on Paterra's remarks.

Paterra said he spoke with his own legal council, who told him he
could not declare Charleroi a state of emergency in reference to the
drug situation. He had hoped to do so to circumvent the ordinance
that limits police shifts.

"I feel in my heart that I can, but legally I don't think I can," Paterra said.

Paterra said he also learned he has no legal basis to seek a recall
vote against council members who have opposed his plans.

"I am pretty upset with what has gone on in my short term in office
because I was hopeful I could work with council," Paterra said. "It
looks like we are on a collision course."

Paterra, though, is talking to other authorities, seeking help with
his drug crusade. On Friday, Paterra met with David Hedges, senior
agent for the FBI office in Speers. Paterra said he can't discuss
publicly much of what was discussed at the meeting.

Paterra said he specifically asked if he should carry a gun, adding
that Hedges told him no. The mayor said he left the meeting feeling
the FBI "has my back."

He plans to meet again with Hedges in the coming weeks. Hedges was
out of his office Friday afternoon and unavailable for comment.

"I plan to build a friendship and cooperation with the FBI," Paterra
said. "I'm ecstatic that the FBI is going to help me with my war on drugs."

Paterra also plans to again discuss police with council. The mayor
plans to ask council at its March meeting to rescind the ordinance
that limited police patrols.

"I would hope my council would reconsider its ordinance," Paterra
said. "This is not just my war on drugs; it's everyone's war on drugs."