MILL HALL — Review of the bills for payment took over a large chunk of the Keystone Central School District Board of Directors’ voting session, ending in approval of the list struck down in a 4-4 tie vote.

Multiple board members questioned why some of the bills listed have already been paid prior to board approval.

“I want to see the bills for payment before they’re paid. Nobody runs a business where you authorize bills for payment that were paid over a month ago,” Board Member Chris Scaff said. “I’ve heard the excuse that we approve a budget. We need to change it so that we see the bills before they’re paid.”

Board Member Elisabeth Lynch agreed with Scaff, saying she posed a similar question a few years prior.

“The rationale has been the board approves the annual budget and the administration spends the money. Since that’s the rationale, why are we even approving bills that were already paid,” she said. “Maybe sometime in the future that can be explained.”

Board President Roger Elling reiterated what Scaff and Lynch said about the annual budget approval providing Superintendent Dr. Francis Redmon and staff the ability to spend allocated funding prior to board members seeing the list of bills each month.

“What they’re doing is bringing it up to you to say ‘hey, this is what we’ve paid.’ Yes it’s a list of bills, but it’s letting you know that way you can question different things, as you have in the past, and get the correct information as to why things are being done,” he said.

Scaff noted by then it’s already too late to.

Elling emphasized the budget approval provides the superintendent the ability to run the district.

“That’s something the superintendent needs to run the district. What you’re saying is that you’re going to micromanage the superintendent,” Elling said.

Scaff said the money being spent in some areas did not need to be.

“We did not need a $20,000 LED sign at Liberty Curtin, we did not need a $1,800 rug inside the front door,” he said. “That’s what I’m saying. Maybe we should let him have what it takes to teach the students and the extras come to the board.”

It should be noted the discussion and approval about the LED sign that was placed at Liberty Curtin Elementary School came to the board in March of this year and was approved in a 5-4 vote.

Elling told Scaff that next year, during budget preparation, the new board could present his suggestion of bringing items before the board for approval more frequently than is current practice.

“That’s something the future board can deal with. But as of right now, we’re still running under the way that as long as we are falling into the budget that we’ve provided, that’s how it’s going to work,” Elling said.

The vote ultimately tied 4-4 with Elling, Tracy Smith, Jeff Johnston and Polly Donahay voting in favor and Scaff, Dr. Bill Baldino, Lynch and Tom Cannon voting against.

Redmon told The Express the bills that have previously been paid will remain as they are, citing the board’s policy which states “All purchases that are within budgetary limits may be made upon authorization of the Business Manager…unless the contemplated purchase is equal to or greater than the Pennsylvania Final Adjusted Base Amount.”

“While the bills for payment items on the agenda may not have passed in the meeting last night, all of the purchases made and subsequent payments for those purchases were in accordance with board policy, state law and within the district budget limits,” he said. “We are continuing to consult with legal counsel, although there is no impact on those payments already made by the district.”

During its discussion about the bills for payment, the board received clarification on other items listed.

Smith offered clarification regarding a coding error that was brought forward during the work session last week.

At the time, Scaff questioned why a line item referenced about $55 being spent on alcohol.

According to Smith, Zangara and Business Manager Joni MacIntyre emailed the board an explanation, saying it wasn’t an alcohol purchase.

“It was a coding issue within the software. When anybody submits receipts, they are to submit an itemized receipt showing the food and what is being done,” she said. “It was a coding issue. There was no wrong doing. I apologize to the business office for the accusations that were made without any kind of information being asked in the first place.”

Scaff clarified he was asking a question at last week’s work session.

“It’s what was on the bills for payment. We had to look at. It was not an accusation, it never was,” he said. “It was a question of why it was there. Joni and Randy got together and showed us the receipt. It was because the receipt was from a bar and the coding or whatever was messed up. I’m happy with it.”

Smith noted it came across as an accusation.

Scaff asked MacIntyre about purchases for Liberty-Curtin that were coming out of the General Fund. He asked why it wasn’t coming from the $20 million bond funding that the district approved prior to the building’s construction.

MacIntyre said the board approved committing $1.7 million in its Capital Projects funding to put towards the project.

It was noted by Redmon the district is spending within its budget for Liberty-Curtin, which included the $20 million bond and the committed funds in the Capital Projects funding.

“The project was always more than $20 million and part of that was bond money and part of that was committed funds. We are not overspending on Liberty-Curtin more than we had anticipated. All of these were anticipated costs,” he said.