MOOSIC, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Moosic Borough is calling for the resignation of a councilwoman after alleged theft of sick time.
Moosic Borough is calling for the resignation of 66-year-old Jane Sterling after police say she stole over 1,200 hours worth of sick time.
They are calling for her resignation from the Moosic Borough Council and the Planning Commission effective immediately.
Former borough administrator accused of adding 1,200 of sick time
Sterling was the Moosic Borough Administrator from 2007 to 2023. She had exclusive access to the borough’s payroll system and was responsible for paying all borough employees, vendors, and bills, police said.
The borough says they have updated policies and put in place new checks and balances to prevent something like this from happening again.
They hired a professional payroll company in early 2024 to process their payroll, conducting an internal audit of accrued time off, ensuring every payroll is signed off by two administrative staff members as well as other steps, the borough detailed in a media release.
"We are devastated to bring these allegations of abuse of power and position to light. We understand that the trust of borough residents has been betrayed. Our trust has also been betrayed. Together we welcome the input and support of borough residents to rebuild from this moment. Moosic Borough continues to fully cooperate with the District Attorney's office in their investigation," said Mayor Robert Bennie.
The video in the player below originally aired on April 4 when Sterling was originally charged:
