Mayor confronted over
alleged sign permission
By sandi carpello
Staff Writer
HELMETTA — A disagreement between a local business owner and Mayor Frank Hague became the subject of a public argument at a Borough Council meeting July 24.
Bill Reid, the owner of Reid’s Excavation, Main Street, and the brother of Republican Councilman Tom Reid, said Mayor Frank Hague, a Democrat, gave him verbal permission to put up a 3-by-5-foot sign in a residential zone last April.
In June, after the sign was already installed, Reid said he received a letter from borough construction official Anthony T. D’Altrui informing him that, because he did not have a permit, he would have to take the sign down. Reid told the mayor and council that Hague had told him he could put up the sign in exchange for a "double extra-large ‘Reid’s Excavation’ T-shirt." He claimed there were five witnesses present at the time of this conversation, though he would not disclose their names.
Hague said he never gave such permission. Reid said that the two men had an agreement. He also said the mayor also told him he could put up the sign if he stopped embarrassing Hague in public.
Reid, a volunteer firefighter, said that he was told Hague turned him in to the construction officials.
"The mayor is full of promises and the promises mean nothing," Reid said.
Hague denied Reid’s accusations. At the council meeting, Hague told Reid that, as mayor, he did not even have the authority to give Reid permission to put up the sign. He said Reid would have to get a permit from the borough’s zoning office like everyone else.
"I did not tell Bill Reid he could put his sign up," Hague said later. "Reid felt he could get away with it because his brother is a council member. These are just more attacks against me because his wife (Christine Reid) is running for office."
Christine Reid is a Republican candidate for Borough Council in this November’s election.
"Where are all these people during the year when we have voluntary programs and community events? It must be election time again," the mayor added.
Hague acknowledged that he was responsible for turning Reid in to the authorities. He said he had received numerous complaints from borough residents and thus asked the code enforcement officer to investigate. Reid said he paid $800 for his sign and would like Hague to reimburse him and pay for somebody to take it down.