The Town of Alma may be small (fewer than 900 residents) but it has been making big headlines recently. Most of the noise is coming from a dispute between the town board and the elected highway superintendent.
When the town board met on Tuesday, multiple sheriff's deputies were on hand to 'keep the peace.' A sheriff's department spokesperson said the office had been asked by Town Supervisor Ronald Steadt to "make sure people were safe." Steadt said there were two county legislators in attendance and he wanted to "protect them from an unruly crowd." There were no incidents reported.
During the meeting, the board heard from a town taxpayer who complained about the 'dangerous' road conditions on Alma Hill Road. The town was served with a "Notice of Defective Road Conditions." In spoken and written testimony, the town was told of "extensive holes...nearly impossible to avoid." Vehicle damage was reported to the town. The town took no immediate action, but did notify its insurance carrier.
This comes as the town is engaged in a legal battle with Dan Ford. He is the elected Highway Superintendent, however the town longer recognizes him in that post. Ford hasn't been issued a pay check in weeks, yet he continues to show up for work. Another highway worker, fired by the board on January 25th, also continues to show up for up. The town refuses to pay him as well. As expected, legal action is pending.
Town Supervisor Ronald Staedt says he won't be surprised if a lawsuit is filed. He said the town continues to investigate highway receipts and they remain concerned about questionable expenses, including "food costs and pre-paid cards." He also expressed concern over an "unauthorized Christmas party." Staede said the town continues to investigate scrap metal sales and is not satisfied with the submitted receipts versus the expenditures. The Town of Alma has 466 registered voters.
