Meet Mayor Moneybags of Madison
Mayor Moneybags Sent an Estimated $7.5 Million of Your Money Out-of-State!
Overspending by $420,000 To Do So!
Madison Awarded Major Infrastructure Contract to Pennsylvania Company
In late August 2022, the Madison Village Council awarded a major infrastructure contract to a Pennsylvania company, even though a local (Lake County) company with extensive experience was willing to complete the project for $420,000 less.
While the Village Council cast the vote, Village Engineer Eric Haibach recommended the project be awarded to the more expensive, out-of-state contractor. This immediately raised questions from citizens attending the meeting.
Out-of-State Contractor Brought to Madison has
"Serious" OSHA Violations
The Pennsylvania company chosen to work on Madison’s infrastructure project has received 10 safety violations (OSHA) since 2011 that included thousands of dollars in fines.
Most of the violations were classified as “serious,” and they related to “inadequate protection from cave-ins, fall protection systems, employee training related to hazard communication and more.”
Welcome to Madison. Please be safe.
Mayor Sam "Moneybags" Britton's Influence
But in Madison Village, most people know that Mayor Sam Britton Jr. holds major influence over most decisions. This begs the following questions:
- Why would Mayor Sam “Moneybags” Britton send $7.5 million in tax dollars to an out-of-state company?
- Why wouldn’t Mayor “Moneybags” want to keep $7.5 million in Village tax dollars in Lake County, where a qualified local company and its employees would spend money in the local economy?
- Does Madison Village Mayor “Moneybags” enjoy overspending your tax dollars?
- Does Mayor “Moneybags” have a personal issue with the local company that has clouded his judgment?
Sign Our Petition
Let Mayor “Moneybags” and the members of the Madison Village Council know that this wasteful use of taxpayer money is not acceptable, and you believe keeping tax dollars in the county or state whenever possible benefits everyone.
FYI, the Madison Village website does not provide any way to directly contact Mayor “Moneybags,” the Village Engineer or the members of the Village Council.
This petition may be the only way to voice your concern!
The Project
It’s called the “Sanitary Sewer Interconnection Project,” and it involved the construction of a new trunk line to send the village’s wastewater to Lake County’s sanitary sewer pump station – located in Madison Township.
Once this is complete, Lake County needs to complete a companion project to move the Village’s sanitary sewage to the Lake County Utilities Department Wastewater Plan on Dock Road in Madison Township.
Learn more about this critical project for The Village from the Ohio EPA’s perspective…
We Will Be Watching
The “Sanitary Sewer Interconnection Project” has the potential to be complex, including extraordinarily deep excavation work and unstable soil conditions.
This presents added danger to the employees, but also the high likelihood of cost overruns – making the project even more expensive to Village taxpayers.
Public Records Requests
Public records requests for information on the progress of the project have been buried in legal and bureaucratic excuses.
Unknown Final Cost
Hard to access public records are making it impossible, so far, to determine the final cost of the project.
Website Updates
Updates will be added to this website if/when we obtain more information from Madison Village.
The Local Company
The Lowest & Best Bidder
Trax Construction is a family-owned and operated construction company that has been working for local municipalities (primarily underground utility work) and private businesses in Ohio for more than 20 years.
It is owned by Christopher Valletto and is based in Wickliffe. They are accredited with the Better Business Bureau and have zero complaints, plus an A+ rating!
After protesting the Village’s decision to award the contract to an out-of-state company and exhausting all available resources, Trax Construction withdrew its bid to prevent any official record that the company was skipped that might impact efforts to obtain future municipal work in Ohio.
The Out of State Company
Awarded the work despite a $421,000 higher bid
Based in Pennsylvania, the construction company has been in business for more than 50 years. They have experience with public works projects.
HOWEVER, this company has received 10 safety violations (OSHA) since 2011 that included thousands of dollars in fines.
Most of the violations were classified as “serious,” and they related to “inadequate protection from cave-ins, fall protection systems, employee training related to hazard communication and more.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry also hit the company with a $19,139 penalty for violating the state’s Prevailing Wage Law.
Good choice, Mayor Moneybags!
The Committee for Responsible Local Spending
We are a group of local citizens that believe responsible spending by local government is critical to maintaining the financial stability of a municipality. This means prioritizing spending on essential services like public safety, infrastructure, and education. Additionally, they must ensure that spending is aligned with the community’s needs and values.