Baldwin Councilman Admits to Stealing Mulch; His Apology Not Enough to Avoid Charges

It's not that he denies doing it; it's that he wanted to apologize in his own words.

Baldwin Borough Councilman John Ferris says that he is facing theft charges in the borough for stealing approximately $11 worth of mulch that was intended for use at Colewood Park and instead using it on his own property along nearby Colewood Drive.


The mulch was taken from a larger pile of mulch at the park's playground in south Baldwin, Ferris—the borough's Public Works Chair—said, after he asked borough Manager John Barrett and Public Works Director Mark Stephenson for permission to have some.

Neither Barrett nor Stephenson gave Ferris permission to take the mulch, Ferris admits, but he also says that he didn't get a straight answer.

"What are they gonna do? Say 'no' to an elected official?" Ferris said.

"Still, I shouldn't have done it."

Ferris said that Baldwin police learned of the theft in May, and at Tuesday night's council meeting, Ferris was given a chance by his fellow councilmen to apologize publicly and to avoid charges.

Ferris was given a prepared statement by borough solicitor Stanley B. Lederman to sign and to read, but Ferris did not sign it and instead spoke without a script, nevertheless apologizing and stating that he had already returned the mulch.

The prepared statement, obtained by the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch through Ferris, is as follows:

Baldwin Borough Council and Residents of Baldwin Borough:

Earlier this year I took some mulch from the Borough's stockpile at Colewood Park and used it around my home. This was wrong. It was, for lack of a better description, a theft of Borough property, property that was paid for with the taxpayers' money. I want to offer my sincere apology for my actions. I will make full restitution to the Borough for the value of the mulch that I took. I am embarrassed by my actions. Rest assured that I shall never do something like this again. I hope that my fellow Council members and the residents of Baldwin Borough will accept my apology and then we can all move on together.

Cc: Mayor & all Members of Council

Ferris has since signed that statement but only after meeting had adjourned.

Using his own words at the meeting, he said that he took the mulch only because it was the perfect match for his property and only because it was a negligible amount.

Four days before the meeting, Ferris offered this written apology to borough police Chief Michael Scott, Ferris said:

Chief Michael A. Scott:

I am writing this letter of apology to you and the entire Baldwin Borough Police Department and the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office Mr. Steven (sic) Zappala. This letter of apology is in regards to a complaint filed concerning myself John Ferris removing mulch from Colewood Park. This issue taught me one huge lesson, as to how the political world is totally different since I started in the early (1990's-1995) and how administration is changing every day. I am very remorseful as an elected council member I failed to look at both sides of that coin. First, before I removed any mulch I thought I would go thru the chain of command, I asked the Public Works Supervisor and then the Borough Manager I was never given a definitive yes or no by either Borough Mgr. or Public Works Supervisor just a don't worry about it, and this is were (sic) I went wrong by assuming it was all right. If you look at both sides of the coin what I was actually doing was asking our employees to give me something that was paid for with tax payers money, wrong wrong, wrong. This will never ever happen again in my 2 years 4 months remaining of my term. I'm requesting forgiveness for my mistake, from Baldwin Borough Police Dept, District Attorney Office and by all our constituents for this mistake.

cc Detective Anthony Cortazzo

cc District Attorney Steven (sic) Zappala

Ferris is sporting a large bruise on his forehead these days to go with two black eyes, the results of a recent fall that he took due to an injured hip and leg, he said.

The hip and leg were injured during a fall that Ferris took in 2011 while he was volunteering to make repairs to the wooden playgrounds at the Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex and at Colewood Park—playgrounds that he was instrumental in helping to install many years ago.

Nevertheless, he admits that that doesn't excuse him from helping himself to borough property.

"It wasn't mine," he said.

Ferris said that the decisions to offer him a prepared apology and to ultimately see him charged with theft were made by the council outside of public sessions and instead in private, executive sessions. Ferris said that that could be construed as a violation of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law.

Barrett would not comment on what took place during the executive sessions.