An official who has overseen Johnstown’s finances for 16 years has been asked to resign.
Tuesday was Finance Director Joe Bunk’s last day of work at City Hall.
City Manager Curt Davis stressed that no allegations of impropriety are involved in his decision.
“Mr. Bunk was a hard-working employee, an honest employee,” Davis said. “But I felt that the city needed to go in a new direction and needed some new skill sets to move forward.”
Bunk was hired in April 1992, when the city was teetering on the brink of financial disaster. In August of that year, Johnstown entered Pennsylvania’s Act 47 program for financially distressed municipalities. The city has not yet shed that distressed designation.
And while Johnstown’s financial outlook improved in the late 1990s, the situation has taken a turn for the worse in recent years.
Johnstown’s latest recovery plan notes that the city had a budget surplus of more than $700,000 in 2001 but recorded a “core operating deficit of over $1 million” by 2005.
With the city still struggling with stagnant revenues and increased expenses, a 2006 audit showed a budget shortfall of more than $800,000.
Contacted Wednesday, Bunk thanked his “quality staff” and said he enjoyed his work.
“I can understand how the city needs to move in a different direction because of the financial problems they’re having,” Bunk said. “It’s unfortunate that my skills did not fit into their plans.”
Davis said a search for a new finance director will begin immediately.
Officials plan to advertise the job in newspapers and online. Applications for the position, which carries a salary of $48,000 to $52,000, will be accepted until June 11.
Local News
City finance director asked to resign after 16 years
- Local News
-
-
Mild winter speeds work: Entertainment venue may be complete by end of May
An unusually mild winter has accelerated construction of a new outdoor entertainment venue in Johnstown.
-
Man jailed on rash of charges
A Patton man is being held on $100,000 bond after police said he threatened to kill a woman, her family and himself unless she talked to him about a protection-from-abuse order.
-
Cambria abolishes 16 jobs
Following through on promises to cut budget costs, the Cambria County commissioners voted Thursday to abolish 16 positions, including nine full-time jobs.
-
Blogging with heart
Anyone else have this issue: The more I know, the more I want to learn.
As I am writing my heart month stories for this week’s packages, I occasionally come across a term or description unfamiliar to me. So I look it up. And then the definition or article has something else that sounds important, so I look that up. -
Wozniak defends his support of drilling bill
State Sen. John Wozniak, D-Westmont, one of only seven Democrats to support the Marcellus Shale legislation adopted this week, said the bill protects the environment and provides help to local communities impacted by the natural gas drilling.
-
Businessman hoping to unseat Wozniak
Tim Houser uses two words – “challenging opportunity” – to describe his goal in this year’s elections.
-
Judge tosses evidence in robbery
A Cambria County prosecutor said he’ll have to drop robbery charges against a Twin Rocks woman after much of his evidence was suppressed by a judge.
-
Shooting defendant pleads to attempted murder
A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty Thursday in county court to attempted murder and theft in a Nov. 18 home invasion in which the homeowner was shot.
-
Garrett man sought in Somerset crime
An arrest warrant has been issued for Samuel McFarland Jr., 33, of Berlin Street in Garrett in connection with Saturday’s robbery of two boys outside Dollar General on East Main Street in Somerset.
-
City man shot during alleged burglary
A Johnstown man was shot during a burglary attempt in Indiana County and then burglarized a home in Armstrong County before he was arrested, authorities said Thursday.
- More Local News Headlines
-






