Tom Gabos Please Explain Your Income And Residency

According to documents on file at Hazleton City Hall Gabos Electric aka succesful businessman Tom Gabos and Peach Entrprises aka succesful businessman Tom Gabos have remitted a total of $3.00 to the City of Hazleton as mercantile tax since 2003.

In Gort's interview with Mayor Barletta last December the Mayor indicated a need to go after businesses that do not pay their mercantile tax.

In a search of the Luzerne County Courthouse Recorder of Deeds Office records indicate that Tom Gabos and his wife, Gale Zelenack, filed a deed for the purchase of their building located 105-107 East Broad Street. The deed was prepared by John P. Rodgers, Esquire and dated May 14, 2008.

The records also show a mortgage for the same property between Gabos and his wife, Gale, with the First National Bank of Pennsylvania with an address of One FNB Blvd, Hermitage, PA. 16148. The date of the mortgage is May 14, 2008. Interestingly, Tom Gabos and his wife, Gale M. Zelenack list their mailing address as 14 Airport Road Hazleton, PA. 18202. In the body of the mortgage Thomas S. Gabos lists his address as 14 Airport Road, Hazleton, PA. 18202 which is actually located in Sugarloaf Township and Gale M. Zelenack lists her address as 107 Fox Hollow Drive, Drums, Pa. 18222. According to other records Gale M. Zelenack sold her home located at the Drums address on February 9, 2007.

The amount of the mortgage was $90,000.00.

There is an Assignment of Rents document dated May 14, 2008 between Gabos, Zelenack, and FNBP listing the same addresses of 14 Airport Road Hazleton, PA. 18202 and 107 Fox Hollow Drive, Drums, Pa. 18222.

On the deed Thomas S. Gabos and Gale M. Zelenack list their address as 907 Lincoln Street, Hazleton, PA. 18201.

On July 6, 2006 Grantor Thomas Gabos deeded his property located in Sugarloaf Township to Grantees Thomas Gabos and Gale Rae M. Zelenack for the sum of One dollar. In Book 3006 on page 177642 located in the Recorder of Deeds office the following is noted for Certificate of Residence. I hereby certify the the precise address of the Grantee(s) herein is: 14 Airport Road, Hazleton, PA. 18202. It is notarized by Ann Fagan, Sugarloaf Township, Luzerne County. The Grantees are Thomas Gabos and Gale Rae M. Zelenack.

Here's the questions for you Thomas. Did you live outside of Hazleton for a period of time where you may have been required to resign your City Council seat over the residency requirement? Since you only paid $3.00 in mercantile tax what income did you produce to secure a mortgage for $90,000.00? Are you maintaining three properties, 907 Lincoln Street, Hazleton, 14 Airport Road, Hazleton, and 105-107 East Broad Street, Hazleton with that income? 

The voters deserve an explanation in light of the fact that the Greater Hazleton Historical Society claims it paid Gabos Electrical, Inc. $3,371.00 for the year ended April 30, 2006.

For legal reasons it should also be noted that Thomas Gabos and Gale Rae Margaret Zelenack were issued a marriage license on November 23, 2008 and were married before District Magistrate Joseph Zola on December 10, 2008. References to Gale being his wife in this post indicate the present status not the status at the time of the deeds. The documents are attached to the deeds.

Note: There has been a correction made to this post.

Gabos Received $15,219.00 For Health Insurance

If one calculates the amount of insurance paid over the time Tom Gabos served as Hazleton City Councilman the figure is about $15,219.00. As a councilman he spends about 48-60 hours PER YEAR at meetings.

Gabos is an electrical contractor. If he hired a part time electrician for 20 hours per week would he offer that person health insurance? Name one company that offers its part time workers health insurance. The amount of money paid could fund a code enforcement officer for a year.

As far as Gabos's claim of a huge deficit in the budget he forgets that City Council approves the budget, not the Mayor. If the figures were off its City Council's problem. They have the ability to revisit the budget anytime they see fit.

With the recent property reassessment in Luzerne County it will be nearly impossible for Hazleton to go bankrupt as the new tax rate is 1.4 mills. The statutory authority allows Hazleton as a third class city to tax up to 25 mills. His bankruptcy claim, as well as his followers, are opposition hype that lacks real substance. It is a typical election time scare tactic employed by a weak positioned official.

Gabos opposed the HCP project that brought $2 million into the City's coffers with another $2 million to come. That money allowed the hiring of nine(9) police officers. If Gabos had his way the City would be short $2 million dollars and minus 9 police officers. Some closet to hang your hat in.

Note: There has been a correction made to this article.

Tom Gabos- If You Are Really Concerned About Police, Give Up Health Insurance

According to documents in Hazleton City Hall Councilman Tom Gabos has been receiving health insurance paid by the City of Hazleton despite owning two businesses, Peach Enterprises(aka Gabos Electric according to a media report) and Classic-Cade. His recent political commercial states he voted NO on the budget for Hazleton because it didn't fund enough for the police force. Forget that the budget DID fund a police force; that wasn't enough motivation for him despite his "reports" of prostitution.

Gabos should take a lesson from the Kansas City police force. In this KMBC.com report police in Kansas City, Kansas have agreed to take a pay cut to save jobs.

Tom Gabos, why didn't you agree to forgo health insurance paid by the citizens of Hazleton to help pay for more police? Don't tell us that the council pay is not enough; don't tell us that your electrician business is not enough; don't tell us that the part time work for the Greater Hazleton Historical Society is not enough; don' t tell us that Classic-Cade does not make enough; don't tell us that the full time job with the Hazleton Area School District is not enough. That is just plain wrong.

Tom, a lesson about business. There is a risk.. Are you asking the citizens of Hazleton to help in your risk of business by paying for your health insurance when others who start a business accept full risk?

Only you and one other council person receive health insurance paid by the citizens of Hazleton. Yet your political commercial chides two other council persons who DO NOT receive health insurance paid by the taxpayers. Wagging the dog won't fool everyone.

Are you double dipping when you ask the same set of taxpayers to fund your job on City Council and pay for your wages as a a maintenance person for the Hazleton Area School District? How many times are you going to reach into their pocket?

Tom Gabos- Who Is Lying????

Tomfoolery
In his latest political commercial Tom Gabos, running for re-election on Hazleton City Council, tries to turn the tide on his opponents by stating there are lies in their commercial.

His first response is that he didn't use his political influence to get himself a job in the Hazleton Area School District. He stated he worked for the district long before he got his job. Let's examine his statement.

Here is the agenda for the Hazleton Area School Board dated April 23, 2009.

Hazleton Area School District
Regular Board Meeting Agenda
6:30 P.M., Thursday, April 23, 2009

Page 12

Substitutes for Board Approval April 23, 2009

Substitutes - Maintenance Dept.
Gabos, Thomas


Next is the Agenda of the Hazleton Area School District for September 24, 2009

Hazleton Area School District
Regular Board Meeting Agenda
6:30 P.M., Thursday, September 24, 2009

Page 2

14- Recommend Board appoint the following maintenance positions:
(Salary as per Teamsters Agreement)
* Hazleton El/Middle School- Thomas Gabos


Tom, now let's be honest. Stating you were "working" for the HASD is not the same as being "employed" by the Hazleton Area School District. You are in the fourth year of your term. Seems the date of your employment is AFTER you were elected Councilman.

Tom's next claim is that he didn't vote against funding for the police department. He claims his vote against the budget was because it didn't provide for enough police.

Are you the same Tom Gabos who, back in August, asked the question "Where's promised dredge money?" The first sentence in your editorial states "Why do we have to lay off police?" Tom, you weren't paying attention during your term. You hired how many police??? Oh, you wouldn't know the answer to that because you weren't paying attention. Then you make the assertion, There are still fewer police in Hazleton than there were when Barletta took office.

Do you remember Councilwoman Graham's reply to your ridiculous questions?

You complain, Tom, that "there are fewer police in Hazleton than when Barletta took office" but you don't say where you have found the money to pay them. Do you not remember that the police were hired with federal money that expired after three years?

Then you answer your own question by stating the money for dredge was used to hire new police officers. No matter what the reason for the lack of enough new police officers hired with money from the dredge project.

The one charge mentioned in the commercial against you that you failed to address was your lack of solutions. Now we are back to running on your record. There is none. Your re-election bid is why you earned the title "Puxatawney Tom." You only come out every once in four years.

Tom Gabos Has Hazleton Pay For His Healthcare

A firestorm erupted before last night's Hazleton City Council meeting. As the new City Administrator, Mary Ellen Leib, is pouring over Hazleton's expenditures it was discovered that Tom Gabos as well as one other council person is receiving health insurance paid by the City of Hazleton. It is legal for Mr. Gabos to receive health insurance according to an ordinance passed by City Council in 1997.

Why would a businessman burden the taxpayers with his health insurance cost when he only attends City Council meetings for about four hours per month? The cost of the insurance is $600.00 per month. If you do the math the taxpayers of the City of Hazleton are paying $150.00 per hour for a health insurance benefit. Why would a businessman who levies a mercantile tax on other businesses who must pay their own health insurance premiums ask those businesses to pay for his health insurance?

Its not an ethical violation but a question of his integrity. Is he in it for the money or the true interests of the taxpayers? He owns two businesses, gets paid to attend City Council meetings, has a full time position with the Hazleton Area School District, a part time job for his wife, a part time maintenance job with the Greater Hazleton Historical Society, and health insurance benefits paid for by the taxpayers of Hazleton.

In theses hard economic times that is just plain wrong. Let the voters decide.

Update Note: After a review of Ordinance 97-09 passed in 1997 it appears that the present members of Hazleton City Council are NOT entitled to healthcare benefits from the City of Hazleton. The wording of the Ordinance is quite clear that health insurance was only provided for the newly elected members of City Council for the year 1998. It makes no mention of the word "hereinafter."

Puxatawney Tom Gabos

If you think about it Tom Gabos waited three years and ten months before introducing his first piece of legislation before Hazleton City Council. He is like Puxatawney Phil. He peaks his head out once every four years to run for re-election. So witness the birth of Puxatawney Tom.

Tom Gabos- Just Plain Wrong

Television stations in the Hazleton market started running this ad paid for by the Southern Luzerne County PAC.

Tom Gabos- When Is Enough ENOUGH? Or Is It Just Plain Wrong?

After a recent Hazleton City Council meeting Tom Gabos was finally able to make a claim. Gabo’s tenure as a City Councilman is not loaded with lofty ideas to help Hazleton. Until that meeting Tom Gabos failed to introduce one piece of legislation to address the pressing issues facing Hazleton. Hazleton City residents had to pay Gabos for over 3-3/4 years before he stepped up to the plate and did what the electorate asked him to do. In his re-election bid it will be hard for Jim Perry and Karin Cabell to debate Gabo's record. He really has none.

Reason would have it that Mr. Gabos was busy with other projects that commanded more attention than the City Council position. After all he owns his own electrical contracting business.

In his entrepreneurial spirit he opened an arcade, along with his wife, Gale Zelenack, in downtown Hazleton which was announced here on July 22 , 2009.

But, as all of us know, in these dire economic times things are very tough for the unemployed. Having a political position allows one get to the head of the line for consideration.

As if those two businesses were not enough money for Gabos he was hired April 23, 2009 as a part time substitute maintenance person. Even the money from that position wasn't enough. He was hired as a full time maintenance person for Hazleton Area School District on September 24, 2009 for the Hazleton Elementary/Middle School, also known as "The Castle". Not only did he use his political position to get himself hired but he also used it to be placed at "The Castle" where he is part of the Castle Fund trying to raise money to repair the auditorium. According to records twenty eight candidates applied for that position.

The Board of Directors of the Castle Fund includes himself as President and three Hazleton Area School Board Members, Elaine Curry, Steve Hahn, and Carmella Yenkevich, who voted to hire him full time as a maintenance person for the Hazleton Area School District this year. This Standard Speaker article found on McKissick Associates from 2004 highlights the close association between Tom Gabos and Bob Childs, another member of the Hazleton Area School Board. Childs isn't, but knows the building well, as he is close to Tom Gabos and Bob Tombasco.

Gabos is President of the Greater Hazleton Historical Society along with his wife, Gale, as a fellow member of the Board of Directors. According to this HASD agenda dated March 26, 2008 under Finance Committee 39 - Recommend Board approve the payment of $2,500 to the Greater Hazleton Historical Society and Museum for cleaning and related costs of the chandeliers in the Hazleton El./Middle School. So the school board members who hired Gabos as a part time maintenance person voted previous to pay another charity where he is its President $2,500.00 to clean chandeliers. This action begs the question on whether Tom Gabos ultimately received the $2,500.00 as President of the Greater Hazleton Historical Society for cleaning the chandeliers.

A review of IRS 990 Forms found on www.guidestar.org confirm that as a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Hazleton Historical Society Tom Gabos has been paid for work every year since at least 2002. Gabos is President of the Greater Hazleton Historical Society, his wife a member of the Board, and the same society that received payment from the Hazleton Area School District voted on by three members of the HASB that sit on the Castle Fund where Gabos is President.

According to those IRS 990's filed for the Greater Hazleton Historical Society (2008, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2000)
he was paid a total of $7,233.00 for electrical and maintenance work from 2002 (excluding the year 2005 because that return is not on the net or at www.guidestar.org ) through April 30, 2008 as a member of its Board of Directors then becoming President in March, 2008. The form for the year 1999 to 2000 there is no notation that he was paid for electrical or maintenance work. The prior year, 1997-1998, indicated no payment.

As an example here is the statement submitted to the IRS for the year 2006.
DURING THE YEAR ENDED APRIL 30, 2006, THE ORGANIZATION CONTRACTED WITH GABOS ELECTRICAL, INC., A FIRM OWNED BY TOM GABOS, A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, TO PROVIDE CERTAIN ELECTRICAL AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES TO THE MUSEUM IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,371.

Gabo's wife, Gale Zelenack, was also approved as a substitute maintenance person for the Hazleton Area School District listed as item #73 on the HASD June 25, 2009 agenda.
TIMELINE
Gabos- Electrical Contractor
Member Board of Directors- Greater Hazleton Historical Society with yearly contracts
Elected to Hazleton City Council- 2006
Hired as Part-Time Maintenance Substitute- April 23, 2009
Wife Hired as Part Time Maintenance Substitute- June 25, 2009
He and Wife open Arcade - July 22, 2009
Hired as Full Time Maintenance Person- September 24, 2009

Tom Gabos and his wife, Gale, should win the Nobel prize for making lightning strike multiple times in the same places. In summation Gabos is an electrical contractor who owns an arcade business, paid as a Hazleton City Council Member, paid as a full time maintenance person for the Hazleton Area School District, paid as a part time maintenance person for Greater Hazleton Historical Society, and a wife who was hired as a part time maintenance substitute with the Hazleton Area School District. And that is just plain wrong.

Tom, when is enough ENOUGH? How about leaving a job for some poor family who is struggling to make ends meet and could use a job for a family member. It's a shame that Gabos and his wife are getting jobs because of political favors during an economic slowdown when many blue collar workers are losing their jobs.

Tom Gabos- Is There A Conflict Of Interest or An Ethical Concern

Standard Speaker Photo ERic Conover 12/19/2008
Hazleton City Councilman Thomas Gabos wears so many hats it is hard to distinguish which role is the predominant one. There is a saying that you can only answer to one master. From the look of events it seems that Mr. Gabos uses the hats for one master, himself.

Mr. Gabos announced the Funfest opening of his arcade business on July 22, 2009.

The arcade will be full of old-school video games and pinball machines that Tom Gabos, a Hazleton city councilman and president of the Hazleton Historical Society, has been collecting for the last 20 years.

Gabos said he and his partner, Gale Zelenack, have been working on the space formerly held by Service Electric Cablevision and more recently by a dance studio.

"We tore out six layers of flooring, to expose the wooden floor, which we refinished," Gabos said. "We replaced all of the electrical (system), and the bathrooms have all new pipes."

Gabos said he selected the site for the arcade carefully.

"My belief is that this is the better side of Broad Street, because it has a lot of businesses on it, and the college (Lackawanna) at the end," Gabos said.

Gabos said he doesn't have any idea about operating hours just yet.

Back in March, 2009 Gabos reported prostitutes in downtown Hazleton.

Councilman Thomas Gabos last week said he received complaints from downtown business owners at two locations concerning female prostitutes working in the neighborhoods.

Gabos declined to identify the business owners who lodged the complaints. One owns a business on Wyoming Street and the other on Broad Street, he said.

In a separate incident, Gabos said he and other members of the Greater Hazleton Historical Society board of directors were recently meeting in the museum at 55 N. Wyoming St. The group walked outside to inspect an area at the rear of the building and discovered a man and woman engaged in a sexual act in the shadows.

Barely three months later he decides to locate one of his businesses there. There is a story about crying wolf but that is for another day.

Gabos was hired as a substitute maintenance person on April 23, 2009.

Back in December, 2008 he was named President of the Castle Auditorium Community Arts Center and featured in a picture published in the Hazleton Standard Speaker.

The board has also received a nonprofit (sic 5)401(c)(3) designation and has a new president, Tom Gabos. Understanding organizations that must mean that HASB Directors Elaine Curry and Steve Hahn voted to elect Tom Gabos as President.

In May, 2009 he attends a conference with Hazleton Area School Board Members Elaine Curry and Steve Hahn as a speaker. The conference was co-sponsored by PennDOT, Preservation Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Federal Highway Administration and other state and regional partners.

Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Advocating for Your Neighborhood Schools: Preservation Strategies
8:30a.m.-12:00p.m.
Historic schools in neighborhoods are the heart of many communities. Yet, Pennsylvania continues to lose these schools at an alarming rate replaced by larger consolidated schools located far from the places where people live. Using the successfully rehabilitated Hazleton “Castle on the Hill” as a case study, this session will provide strategies for working with schools boards and parents to retain and rehabilitate these important schools.

Mindy Crawford, Preservation Pennsylvania (Moderator)
Vern McKissick and Gina Douty, McKissick Associates
Tom Gabos, Elaine Curry and Steve Hahn, Community Advocates

Gabos is known for his efforts to restore the former Hazleton Area High School also known as the "Castle." He sits on the Castle Auditorium Board of Directors where Hazleton Area School Board Members Elaine Curry, Steve Hahn, and Carmella Yenkevich are members as well.

Councilman Gabos is featured in this WBRE16 video about the Castle Auditorium project. In the video it mentions that the Hazleton Area School District spent $30 million to renovate the school known as the Hazleton Elementary Middle School. Any claim that Tom Gabos made to "save the Castle" seems suspect since the Hazleton Area School District taxpayers and Pennsylvania taxpayers seem to be the ones who "saved" it.

Recent action by the majority of the Hazleton Area School Board lead to the hiring of Hazleton City Councilman/Electrician/Arcade Owner Thomas Gabos as a maintenance person at the Hazleton Elementary/Middle School.

The rumor surrounding this hire is that Mr. Gabos demanded he displace a long time maintenance person when he received this position since the Hazleton Elementary/Middle School is the former Castle. There may be a greivance filed over the action with the school board.

Is it possible for three school board directors to separate their close association with Tom Gabos in this hiring matter? Did Tom Gabos use his position on City Council to persuade those involved in his hiring?

Now he is known as Hazleton City Councilman/Electrician/Arcade Owner/Hazleton Area School District Employee/Tom Gabos.

Tonight Mr. Gabos is going to do something unique as a councilman. He is actually going to introduce his first piece of legisaltion in the almost four years on Hazleton City Council. According to Mia Light, government correspondent, of the Standard Speaker Gabos will introduce an ordinance before Council that authorizes the use of state constables to augment law enforcement in the city.

Gabos said he sees no reason for the proposal to fail.

"I feel confident (the ordinance) will pass. Why would anyone object to it?" Gabos said. You can read about the duties of constables in Pennsylvania in the content of Mia's article.

Now let's answer Mr. Gabos's question. One should never ask a question you don't know the answer to.

First, only four(4) constabiles in our area are certified(asThomas Roccograndi, a certified Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) constable training instructor at Lackawanna College Police Academy states in the article)and bonded. Where the figure of 15 came from is anyone's guess. That statistic means the other constables would not qualify to carry out their duties in a way that protects the City of Hazleton from liability.

Following election, the constable is required to attend and pass an 80-hour training academy to receive certification through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency under Act 44, and to successfully complete 40 hours of yearly updates on law and firearms training to maintain their certification.

Next, is Mr. Gabo's position that these constables are sitting around with nothing to do and waiting for Hazleton to hire them? The constables in the Hazleton area are performing duties at the present time so there is a question whether they would have extra time to assist the City.

There is the issue of pay. Look at what charges the Berks County court system incurred with the use of constables. At least two of them were reprimanded for double billing.

Three constables in Berks County made more than $250,000 last year, placing them among the highest-paid elected officials in the nation.

Three other constables in Berks made $120,000 or more last year. And 11 state constables in Berks made more than the $75,000 paid to district court judges, their bosses.

Here is what one constable said about using constables to make arrests.

Highly paid constables make most of their money by serving parking-ticket warrants, the constables and Xavios said.

Jack Esher, a constable in Delaware County and president of the State Constables Association, a professional organization, don’t make dig money on lots of arrests.

Arrests take too much time for what they pay. In an arrest, a constable must take the suspect to district court and have him arraigned, fingerprinted and taken before a judge.

"If you’re arresting people, you can’t be doing something else at the same time," he said.

As far as this idea being a good financial move for Hazleton obviously Gabos didn't do his homework.

If the person is not home, he said, he will leave a paper on the suspect’s door informing him that a warrant has been issued and what to do.


That’s good news financially for the county: It will make more money than if a ticket had been paid on time.

And it’s good news for the constable: The county will pay him a fee, even if his delivery of the warrant results in no collection.

Xavios said district courts are a cash cow for the county, bringing in $3.7 million last year alone, after costs and fees are paid.

This idea sounds more like a fleece of the citizens of Hazleton than a help.