FLY CREEK — More than a week after four out of five fire board commissioners failed to show up for the July meeting, the situation in Fly Creek remains in total disarray. Bills are going unpaid, at least one commissioner has resigned from the fire board and rumors persist of mass resignations in the fire department.

"If they thought people were mad before, they've really got people upset now," said treasurer Betty Staffin.

Approximately 50 residents, Staffin and commissioner Mark Weir showed up at the fire department July 13 for the monthly meeting, where many residents hoped to get answers to some of the questions lingering after the explosive meeting in June. Instead, all they got were more questions.

"How many ways can you tell a village to go screw itself?" asked resident John Phillips, as people began leaving the fire department around 7:45 p.m. "They don't accidentally not show up."

While waiting for the other commissioners to appear near the start of the meeting, Weir explained some of the questions he had about the fire district's budgeting process. In the 1998 and 1999 budgets, a line allotted $4,950 for "personal expenses" that Weir said were not justified or explained to him. In addition, most of the budgets had the exact same figures from year to year, with little or no changes made in any category.

"This is why I'm asking questions," he said. "How do you handle the town's money like this?" Weir also confirmed that the state comptroller's office would be conducting an audit later this year.

As time wore on and the remaining commissioners had still failed to show up, Weir called the Pernat's house and Pat Rhyde, but received no answer from either.

Residents began dispersing from the engine bay and the meeting was finally cancelled at about 7:40 p.m., as fire trucks began returning from a call about low-hanging wires on Route 28. The downed wires resulted in about three miles of road between Cooperstown and Fly Creek being closed, said a fireman, who was blocking off traffic at the flashing stoplight in Fly Creek.

In a statement read over the phone the next day, chairwoman Patty Pernat said she had resigned from her position on the board.

"As of June 10, 2005 I resigned as chairperson and commissioner of the Fly Creek fire district. This is probably only the beginning, because I've heard unofficial reports of other commissioners and firemen resigning due to Mr. Weir and his group making false accusations, false rumors, false comments and trying take control of the meetings."

Pernat said she submitted her resignation to Yvonne Colby, the board's secretary and wouldn't comment about the other commissioners or firemen who might be resigning.

Rumors of the other commissioners resigning floated around following the meeting, and on Friday, an anonymous party put up more than 25 mock missing person posters throughout the hamlet. The posters claimed commissioners Dean Colby, Julie Pernat and Patty Pernat were missing and gave a number for people to call a "Commissioner Locater."

Julie Pernat, Patty Pernat's daughter, did not return calls placed to the Pernat residence inquiring about her status as a commissioner.

Messages left at Colby's house were not returned and Rhyde, whose number is unlisted, could not be reached for comment.

Numerous firefighters said they were considering resigning as a result of the upheaval in the fire district.

"There's quite a few talking about it," said assistant chief Jim Pernat "We're not going to put up with this stuff. All of this is totally false and it's just ridiculous." He said the fire department had released a statement to several newspapers stating their position on the topic, but declined to repeat the content of that statement, saying he had "no faith" it would be reported accurately.

"I'll probably resign," said Chris Chandler, the son of fire department chief George Chandler. He declined to comment further, saying newspaper coverage of the fire department was unfair.

Lyle Jones, Otsego County's director of emergency services said he met with Fly Creek fire department chief George Chandler recently and that Chandler had not given any indication of internal conflict.

"Everybody's short," Jones said. "As long as they have a chief and some line officers" they would be able to call for assistance from the county mutual aid system.

Donna Mulford, a member of the department's auxiliary unit, said at the aborted meeting that the entire situation was unfortunate.

"Same old, same old, isn't it?" she said. "It's really sad. In general, the firemen are damn good."

Resident David McGown was not as forgiving of the commissioners.

"It's an insult to the taxpayers," he said. "If they're not going to show up, they should just do us a favor and resign."