FORD CITY, Pa. — Ford City officials admitted to Channel 11 Tuesday that they made a mistake in not buying road salt sooner that cost them in the end.
For the most part, Ford City streets were clear Tuesday, but that wasn’t the case two weeks ago, when viewers contacted Channel 11 about ice covered roads.
"The ice was dangerous. Lots of people; lots of falls,” said Lou Vergari, former council president.
Vergari said the city did not plan ahead for the winter weather this year.
“By the time they decided to actually spend the money to buy the salt, we were in February,” said Vergari.
Records that Channel 11 obtained through a Right to Know request showed a number of salt purchases last year, with a delivery happening about every two weeks. This year, however, the first purchase wasn’t made until February, and at more than double last year’s price.
“Mistakes were made all across the board, and it's our job to learn from those,” said Borough Manager Eden Ratliff.
Ratliff said Ford City placed bids for salt in the fall but never received any interest.
“We probably could have pursued bids more aggressively. I think we did the diligence council has always done,” said Ratliff.
Many residents though criticize the costly mistake, leading some to believe there should be a change in leadership.
“That's up to the people of Ford City if they have something to say about how the tax money is being used,” said Vergari.
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