The Disconnect

The Morrisville Borough Council meeting of May 25 was a demonstration of this Council’s electioneering on the public dime. The meeting proceeded like a Trump cabinet meeting with members, selected audience speakers, and the part-time manager praising the current Council president and claiming massive accomplishments, which are yet to be realized and, more importantly, financed.

Clearly, the current Borough Council and part-time manager intend to use all Borough resources, some paid for by tax payers, to campaign for the November election: new talks between the Mayor and Council president filmed from Borough Hall; mass-mailed, multi-page glossy brochures highlighting certain council members; Mayoral Facebook pages and even Borough Council Meetings. We have noted that many of the topics highlighted in all of these communications are taken from the concerns expressed in our campaign literature and website. 

The presentation from Imagine Morrisville and the subsequent council vote to table funding for the Irish festival highlight a common disconnect.  A representative from Imagine Morrisville touted the sudden realization that Morrisville needs to tap into the arts, and announced that they have procured $50K for a study (yes, another study that hopefully will not end up in the dead file with all of the other studies).  He bemoaned the fact that our surrounding towns have theaters which have helped to revitalize their communities.  Never once did he mention that we have a very successful theater in town, The Actors Net.  Yes, the space is small but instead of proposing finding a bigger space for the theater, he did not even mention its existence.  

Have you noticed the murals that are popping up in town? Our Morrisville art students guided by their teacher just completed phase two of a mural project to beautify the boarded windows of Capitol View school. They did not need an expensive study to recognize a perfect spot for the visual arts. With the generous donations of time and paint and talent, a community project resulted in a mural covering the former snack shack at the Island.  Again, no study, just local artists and community coming together to create public art. After this project was completed, one current council member wanted to white wash over it.    

The Imagine Morrisville speaker joked that they would not be touching the park.  Why not? Our events at the park allow local artists to display their wares and perform music, but there is little support from this Council for events at the park.  In fact, every time the current chair of the Parks and Rec committee tries to get approval and some support for events, the council quibbles endlessly. 

It was painful to watch Council spend 20 minutes scrutinizing an expenditure of $450 to help fund a music festival in the park and a $1500 request for the long-standing Irish Festival, even though $7,000 is budgeted for these events.  These are events that unite and benefit the community of Morrisville.  It should not be so difficult. 

In the end, the Council voted to table their approval of providing any funding for the Irish Festival, making it unlikely that there will be time to coordinate it.  So, this Council strongly supports the arts?  It appears it’s only when there’s a $50K study and you are in the preferred group. 

There’s a real disconnect here.  We think the voters of Morrisville can see it.