Carbon County's K9 services were on the minds of Mahoning Township supervisors Monday evening after Carbon County Commissioners voted to cut the township off from services.

Frank Ruch said he discussed with Commissioner Tom Gerhard the township's belief they were not receiving the services they were paying for from the county in 2012 and 2013."I told Commissioner Gerhard during our brief phone call last week that we were having a budget workshop that evening and that we would bring up the subject, and then I would let him know what was discussed," Ruch said. "I was very disappointed in that story. I never told them we received no services from the county. I said we received no K9 services from the county in that period which is why we didn't pay those bills."Supervisors said the county was called at least twice in recent years prior to their non-payment and in both cases, the county was unable to assist the township with dog issues in the community which is what led to their decision in 2012 not to pay the bill. "There was the incident with six dogs in Mahoning Manor and when we involved the county, (Wayne) Nothstein told us there was no one qualified to help them and that we should contact the state. We contacted the state and they told us they wouldn't come from Stroudsburg for six dogs so we were left to deal with it," said Zoning Officer LeRoy Leibenguth. He also mentioned a second incident as well.Ruch was upset because Gerhard assured him that he and Dog Enforcement Officer Tom Connors would attend the meeting to discuss the township's concerns and answer questions. "I have several questions for Mr. Gerhard and he assured me he would be at this meeting with Connors, and he is not here. In addition, we only ever talked about K9 service, not other services. I never said anything about CDBG funds or anything else."Chairperson John Wieczorek was direct with his remarks. "The commissioners implied that we accepted $360K in Carbon County taxpayer money through CDBG grants and nothing is further from the truth. That money is Federal money for which we were qualified, we applied and we received those funds. They weren't county money, they were Federal funds that county administers," he said. He said he believed it was out of line for other funds and grants to be dragged into a dispute over a $693 bill. He said the K9 bill has nothing to do with grants."It's amazing to me that with all the important issues before county commissioners that potentially cost thousands of dollars that they would occupy so much time of their weekly meeting to warrant a news story for a $693 bill for services for the K9 unit," Wieczorek said.Ruch also said that commissioners admitted Banks Township also had not paid their bill and wondered why the township was singled out like it was.Wieczorek issued an open invitation to Gerhard to discuss this issue further since he said he would attend Monday's meeting but did not show. He said the commissioner would be placed on the agenda when he acknowledges the invitation to discuss this topic and answer questions supervisors had with regard to the service.He also questioned the six dogs cited in the story as having been picked up by the K9 unit. Officer in Charge Audie Mertz said the department never received a call about multiple dogs at Wal-Mart but added that sometimes dispatchers directly contact the K9 unit. Mertz said occasionally the officers would transport a dog to the shelter in the past but that it was a while since they had to do that.With regard to the accusation that the township doesn't cooperate with the county, Wieczorek pointed out there are items in which the county shut out the township. He suggested that in the spirit of cooperation maybe the commissioners should answer the questions Mahoning residents have as well with regard to the county.Wieczorek said he did not receive a message seeking comment from the TIMES NEWS for a story Friday until the story was already in print.