Residents press Monroe County for accountability on $695,000 gun-safety grant and student surveys

Several residents used the Sept. 4 Monroe County commissioners meeting to press for accountability and transparency around a $695,000 state grant the county received to support a community partnership for gun safety.

A resident who identified themself as speaking on behalf of Stroudsburg Borough said the county had “failed” individuals who need mental-health supports and questioned whether contracted consultants had delivered required services. The resident described a personal loss and urged the county to show proof of the work paid for with the grant. “These individuals have collected over a $100,000, probably a 120 now, of taxpayer money,” the resident said. “This is starting to look like fraud perpetrated on the electorate of Monroe County. We demand accountability.”

Theresa Pesch of Eldridge said she could not find the websites listed on a flyer distributed at a recent fair and said the web pages appear to be registration or “launch” pages rather than functioning program sites. Pesch also raised questions about student surveys conducted under the grant, noting that one school district—Pleasant Valley—refused to participate. She read from a contract clause (Cary Group contract, page 6) saying surveys should use validated questions and should be administered with school-board approval and parental consent. Pesch said an email she reviewed showed a consultant, Dr. John Toleno, acknowledging uncertainty about how parental consent was obtained for surveys administered in Pocono Mountain School District.

Representative Probst of Strasburg Borough, who said he co-hosted a forum with project participants, urged residents not to equate the initiative with gun confiscation and described the work as focused on safe storage and suicide prevention. Probst said the effort was “the first of its kind” in the county and emphasized safety messaging; he also said the county has a higher rate of firearm suicide than the national average.

What the meeting record shows and does not show

- The transcript records public comments alleging a lack of deliverables for a $695,000 state grant and questions about consultants Jacobson and Toleno and their compensation. The resident speaker asserted contractors had been paid “over a $100,000” but did not produce contract invoices on the record during the meeting. - Theresa Pesch stated the flyers listed two URLs (gunsafetymonroepA.gov and gunsafetymonroePA.org as printed on the flyer) but she could not find substantive content beyond an email-signup/launch page. - The transcript includes a referenced email exchange in which Dr. Toleno acknowledged he did not know how parental consent was secured for a survey administered at Pocono Mountain School District; the transcript does not include the complete email text or county staff responses. - No county action or vote on the grant or consultants occurred during the Sept. 4 meeting; public comment asked the commissioners to provide documentation and oversight.

Why it matters: The grant is intended to fund local interventions related to firearm safety and suicide prevention. Residents’ questions touch on program transparency (existence of web resources and advertised programs), contractor performance and the protection of minors (parental consent for school surveys).

Ending: Commissioners acknowledged the comments. The meeting transcript does not record a formal reply with documentary proof of consultant deliverables or a schedule for follow-up; public commenters asked for further oversight and information.