SANATOGA PA – If given a chance, would you – the reading public – be interested each month in poring over pages of bookkeeping lists (known as warrants) to see exactly where Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township revenues come from, and where and with whom it spends its money? Former Commissioner Anthony Doyle has repeatedly told his successors on the Board of Commissioners that you’d jump at the opportunity.

We’ll soon know if he’s right.

The Sanatoga Post today (July 13, 2011) is making available for digital download, from its website as Adobe Acrobat documents, copies of warrants in its possession: for May 2011, April 2011, March 2011, February 2011, January 2011, December 2010, and November 2010. What we’ve got, our readers are welcome to view. As a public service, The Post also will host future warrants it receives.

• Find them at the top of our Resources page, here. Most take about a minute or less to download over a high-speed (DSL, cable, or FIOS) Internet connection.

Warrants have been promptly and courteously provided by township staff members to The Post at its request within days of their approval by board members. Warrants of a previous month are generally accepted for review by the board during its first meeting of the following month, and then are usually approved during the second meeting. The May 2011 warrants, for example, were approved by commissioners June 23; the June 2011 warrants were accepted for review during their July 7 meeting.

Warrants are printed and can always be viewed for free at the municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA, during regular office hours Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

During his tenure as one of Lower Pottsgrove’s elected leaders, and as recently as the June 23 meeting, Doyle clamored to have warrants posted on the township website both to foster transparency in government and to ensure they are available for viewing beyond office hours. The board didn’t reject the idea, but it has so far politely declined by noting that it hasn’t budgeted, and would rather not pay for, time and online server space needed to supply the warrants.

The Post has both of those.

Some caveats: The Post is supplying these materials exactly as received from the township, and makes no guarantee expressed or implied that they are complete, accurate, or faithful reproductions of the actual documents. The Post has had no hand in their creation or submission. Before taking any action based on the contents of any documents offered here, The Post strongly suggests you consult with appropriate professionals for advice.

Happy reading!

Editor’s note: The original version of this story reported The Post had “misplaced” its copy of the January 2011 warrants and therefore could not make them available online. Within two hours of publication, and without being asked to do so, the township staff had supplied us with a replacement file via e-mail. We thank them.

Related:

• The Post Providing Monthly Township Warrants Online
• Township Warrants Wing Their Way To He Who Pays
• Former Commissioner Seeks Warrants On Township Web
• Wanna Know Where Money Goes? Read Warrants

Related (to the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners’ July 7 meeting):

• The Post Providing Monthly Township Warrants Online
• NRC Staffers Stop By, Say ‘Hi’ To Commissioners
• Italian Restaurant Construction Could Start Within Weeks
• At Township DUI Check, They Got What They Paid For
• Police Radio Discussion Possible In Township’s Meeting

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