SLIPPERY ROCK — A landlord who took his own life last weekend said “government bullying” led him to take that action.

Frank Monteleone mailed copies of two letters to the Butler Eagle before his death on Nov. 16. One letter was to his girlfriend, Bonnie Davis, and one was to his lawyer, Tim Silbaugh. Both letters said that troubles with the borough led to his suicide.

“This is totally about government bullying,” Monteleone wrote.

Issues that he specifically mentioned were that the borough moved bulk trash pickup from May, about the time Slippery Rock University has its spring graduation, to March, and that the borough had an inadequate response to his concerns about ambulance response times to emergency calls.

In a statement, the borough said that people who commit suicide do not do it because of issues such as garbage pickup or ambulance service.

“The death of Mr. Monteleone is tragic, but there is absolutely no rational basis to believe his death was caused by anything the borough did or did not do,” statement said.