The Freeman is reporting that Mayor Sottile has ordered the City Comptroller to conduct a complete audit of payroll records for all police officers who work as security guards at Kingston High School.
I have no problem with this. It is the proper reaction. However, I must ask why this was not done in the first place prior to any allegations being brought forth. The Mayor should require an audit of all departments each year to determine that everything is being handled appropriately. Why do we wait for allegations and scandal?
This is not the first time this has happened. We learned some time ago that the City of Kingston was being ordered to pay safety net costs in excess of the actual obligation. Why did the Mayor not order an audit or review of these bills and costs prior to paying them?
As a side note, we do not pay the safety net bills in a timely manner anyway. They are allowed to sit for a year and then the County assesses the city's property taxes accordingly the following year. This is why you will never see the safety net costs in a city budget. They are hidden in the tax assessments each year. That is another scandal ..uh .. story.
Whoever the next Mayor is, he should require frequent audits or reviews of city accounts, especially when they deal with other municipalities or government agencies. Our elected officials must be proper stewards of the people's money.
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Is this going to be a real investigation or just a show? Because if it was going to be a real investigation they might want to compare records of cops that called in sick, yet somehow worked at the school during the hours they were sick. Then you might want to check and see if it was the same guys always working the pd overtime created by the guys that called off. If you were to do a real investigation and check all the angles you might be surprised at the little system going on here. And how far up the chain of command that knew about the game.
What about all the undocumented overtime at the wastewater treatment plant. Thousands of dollars are thrown away every year because the Camo and the two senior plant operators do not require staff to punch in and out for overtime. They just right down the amount of hours they want to get paid for and the City pays them.
Not only in KPD is this a practice but the KFD and especially the DPW. Lot of staff call out for day then return to work for overtime. Often results in sending home employee who worked their shift but has less seniorty the person coming in off sick call. CHECK IT OUT!!!!!
If a thorough investigation and audit is done, it should not be conducted by a city employee. Call in reputable auditors from the "outside" who will do the forensic review. Let's see..A city employee audits records of another city employee. There is something wrong with this. Find the money and hire professionals. That's the only way you are going to find out how deep this goes.
pirorslTime to change status for Forman,
Asst. Supertindents, Line Officers
and Office staff from UNION to MANAGEMENT. Then we will have ACCOUNTIBILITY. Union bosses just don't disipline their rank file .
3:09 pm It is not the unions job to disipline the workforce. That job goes to the department head. The union boss has NO authority to do anything to bad employees.
If the department head disiplines an employee it is the union boss's job to make sure the punishment fits the crime. All to often than not the department head only disiplines the person he doesn't like and the union boss then gets the employee off because the department head will not disipline other workers for the same crime.
Speaking of Audits....why are we learning in the newspaper also, that some person in City Hall got a $6k raise for being their "computer person". Where does this money come from and how does it fit with other raises within city hall? By the way, we all know that its really more than 6k given the city's share of their retirement, federal and state withholdings too.
Hey 6;36, you are right in your comment regarding overtime at the treatment plant and DPW. Alderman Hayes Clement went down to treatment plant and was B.S.'d about overtime and what makes it worse is he NEVER ASKED TO SEE TIMECARDS THAT COULD SHOW IF EMPLOYEES ACTUALLY WORKED THE HOURS THE SUPERVISORS ARE SUBMITTING FOR PAYMENT. That is why we need outside auditor looking into payroll rather than a city employee or alderman. I know because I am an employee at cityhall. I see this kind of stuff going on all the time!
Stupid when I refered to UNION BOSSES I was speaking of the present FORMAN, ASST.SUPTS, LINE OFFICERS, and OFFICE MGMT. Get it straight this time I'm not refering to the BIG GUY'S. The low level leaders are UNION EMPLOYEES the same as the people they lead.
joe franks
That was a $10,000.00 raise because the guy threatened to quit if he didn't get it. The Mayor made him a department head, took the position out of the union, put him in charge of department with nobody in it.
Maybe he knows why the computers crash at the right time???
Hey Rich you really kicked butt on Blaber's poll. You had over 60% of the vote. Looking good!!
5:16,
Thank you. Please keep some things in mind, however.
First, it is an unscientific poll.
Second, I have not declared my candidacy yet.
Third, even if I did run and obtained the necessary lines, it is not clear who the Democrat candidate would be. Their poll was tight. Clement is likely to get the nomination, but I question if he can hang on in a primary vs. Noble or Donaldson or Gallo. If a combination of these people run, a dark horse candidate could swoop in and get the nod with 26% of the vote.
Yeah good job winning the poll. I was surprised by the margin
There are some highly paid firemen and policemen who have lucrative side businesses.
The never held ethic commmittee required under Charter may have uncovered this.
Why is the Owner of Mid City Lanes allowed to plow his snow to the opposite corner of Cedar Street. Now oyu cannot see coming out of Ima Jima Lane. Also plows to block sidewalk towards Broadway. Why is this allowed without a fine. Then snow removed on Fair Street between Mainb Street to Henry Street. Cna hardly get through with cars parked on both sides.
Will this audit include not only security at the schools but also at Dietz Stadium?
Why do 3 DPW employees ride around all day in the patch truck and just continue to ignore pot holes one after another. Why 3 guys to do this, I would think 2 is more than enough. Does this truck have GPS on it. If not it should.
Did you here that Charlie Landi got a letter from the City about plowing snow into the street. Seems Charlie thinks laws do not apply to him.
Just like he thinks he can talk on his Cell phone while driving a school bus full of children.
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2011/02/12/news/doc4d5711c528291816232222.txt?viewmode=4
This is heartbreaking.....I cannot believe how disappointed I am in Tim Matthews. And time will show that Gretzinger knew EXACTLY what was going on and approved of it. Just wait and see.
IF it is necessary to audit the Police Department, wouldn't it be wise to audit the Fire Department since their members are also security guards at the High School.Also audit the DPW they rake in a lot of overtime.
Good old boys at work again! The mayor is leaving, is that why all of this is starting to come out? The question i have is the men and woman from DPW got layed off, we would have a clean city now if all of this came out 3 years ago. No one watching and everyone in fear of what would happen if they said anything. This city is ran by gang members of the white coller crew. I hope the next mayor is you Rich. People might not like all that you say, but you do your job and tell the truth. You are a family man who does not hang out in bars, you know the law, you dress clean, you check up on the paychecks that the city writes, and you will not give work out to out of towners. RICH FOR MAYOR- A MAN WHO CAN GET THE JOB DONE!
Audit the Comptroller - is he blind, lazy or corrupt?
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