UPPER FREDERICK — A town manager that has actually not gone to any kind of conferences considering that July and also that the state values payment has actually pointed out for a dispute of rate of interest when he offered an item of ranch tools he had to the area for greater than it deserved, has actually surrendered.

William Tray, a manager considering that 2016, sent his resignation in late December, according to area mins of the Dec. 29 2022 conference, and also his resignation was approved by the board at the Jan. 12, 2023 conference.

Those curious about filling up the message might send a letter of rate of interest through e-mail at info@upperfrederick.org or face to face at the area structure throughout normal service hrs up until 4 p.m., Jan. 27.

According to a notification published on the area site, “the board will certainly assess the applications at the Feb. 2 workshop conference and also select an individual at the Feb. 9 conference.”

Minutes of Area Manager conferences verify Tray has actually not gone to a conference considering that July 14, 2022.

An approval arrangement got to in between the Pennsylvania State Ethics Payment and also Tray needs him to repay the area $5,000 — the distinction in between the $15,000 he was paid by the area for an 18-year-old dirt sifter called a “box screener” and also its approximated $10,000 worth.

The $15,000 Tray obtained for the tools, coincided quantity he spent for it in 2008 when it was bought for usage on the Hidden Creek Supply Ranch on Salford Terminal Roadway which Tray possesses with his sis Susan.

Along with electing on the area spending plan that consisted of the acquisition of his tools, in addition to the costs checklist licensing its acquisition, Tray likewise acquired repayment for the tools from the area before its being accepted as component of the costs checklist and after that quickly utilized that cash to pay greater than $8,000 in past due Boyertown College Area tax obligations in the last days of December, 2020, according to the values payment searchings for.

Tray did not reply to phone messages looking for remark left at the Hidden Creek Supply Ranch.

The 23-page choice by the values payment released on Dec. 14, 2022 outlines the series of occasions which brought about the offenses. It started in 2019 when the area resurfaced Clover Lane and also Colonial Roadway and also the freeway manager, Steve Heller, discussed he would love to reuse several of the millings from the roadway job for various other usages in the community.

Tray supplied to lend package screener to the area to make use of free of charge, a deal Heller approved.

In the summertime of 2020, Heller revealed rate of interest in buying a comparable tool for the area and also Tray supplied to market it to the area for $15,000 — the exact same quantity he had actually spent for it in 2008.

When Heller comprised his “shopping list” for the 2021 spending plan, it consisted of Tray’s Shaker Pal Box Screener. According to the Ethics Payment the various other managers and also the area supervisor at the time, Jackie Tallon, that has actually considering that retired, understood it was Tray’s tools on the checklist which the area was currently in belongings of it.

All the various other products on Heller’s shopping list had quotes from the statewide bidding process system referred to as Co-Stars.

On Dec. 10, 2020, Tray seconded the movement made by then-chairman Troy Armstrong, that was likewise a worker of the area freeway division, to authorize the 2021 spending plan that consisted of the acquisition.

A month later on, at the area re-organization conference on Jan. 4, 2021, Armstrong and also Heller offered details that getting a comparable previously owned box screener would certainly set you back $16,500 and also a brand-new one would certainly set you back $29,900. (A succeeding quote appointed by the values payment valued Tray’s utilized shaker box at $10,000.)

The mins of the Jan. 4, 2021 conference “do not state whether Tray joined the ballot” to acquire the tools, according to the judgment by the values payment, which likewise keeps in mind Tray firmly insisted to private investigators that he introduced he would certainly not elect on the product since it belongs to his service and also would certainly stand for a dispute of rate of interest.

The area after that released Tray a look for the shaker box the exact same day its acquisition was accepted. The check was authorized by Armstrong and also Tallon and also released 10 days before the authorization of the costs checklist on Jan. 14 and also counter to normal area treatment.

The values payment likewise located that Tray did not have adequate cash in the ranch’s account to pay the 2020 college tax obligation costs before getting the $15,000 for the sale of the shaker box.

However, the values payment examination located that 3 repayments amounting to $8,610.16 were made to Tax obligation Collection agency Jennifer Brown on Dec. 29, Dec. 30 and also Dec. 31, 2020. Yet the checks were not published up until Jan. 14, 2021 “9 days after the $15,000 from the sale of the Shaker Pal was obtained,” the record states.

Along with breaking dispute of rate of interest guidelines for public authorities, the values payment likewise located that in 2018 and also 2019, Tray had actually not submitted the yearly “declaration of economic rate of interest kinds” chosen local authorities need to submit annually.

The kinds Tray did submit in 2017, 2020 and also 2021 fell short to discuss his economic rate of interest in Hidden Creek Supply Ranch, the values payment located. Along with paying the area back the $5,000, Tray is likewise needed to submit remedied economic disclosure kinds.

Tracy Tackett, the existing area supervisor, asked Tray regarding his missing out on economic disclosure kinds in February of 2022 and also e-mails in between both acquired by the values payment reveal Tray responding “I wouldn’t have actually offered it to the area if I understood it would certainly be a concern. Might have obtained $20,000 for the Shaker Pal yet maintained my word to Steve Heller. Area had initial dibs and also remained in belongings of the device 2 years before the acquisition.”

As component of the authorization arrangement, the Investigative Department “will certainly suggest the state values payment take no more activity on this issue and also make no suggestions to any kind of police or various other authority to do something about it on this issue.” Nevertheless, ought to a police pick to act upon the issue, the investigatory department will certainly coordinate, the arrangement claimed.