I did not attend last night's Board of Finance meeting, but it seems to have been a marathon with all sorts of controversy.
This is a place for those who attended or have watched the meeting to discuss it. But please try to be clear and complete in your descriptions of what happened, and fair and understanding, as well. If you don't understand something, ask (I don't mean me, especially since I haven't even seen the meeting). Don't just assume things were this way or that.
Here's the first comment on the meeting:
William H. said...
Rob, I really wish you were at the Board of Finance meeting. It was a real circus. I have to be honest, the democrats might have dug themselves into a hole. Allegedly, Michael Hallahan approved the Audit Company to do an additional forensic audit without approval from the Board of Finance, which as you know is a direct violation of the Town Charter and the CT Statute. Mr. Hallahan went on to indirectly admit this but his explaniation was that his actions were in the best interest of the town. Now, Rob, as a lawyer I'm sure you can agree that intent does not overrule policy. If one counters that the Republicans were doing this for years, my rebuttal would be that the Democrats promised to stop these actions and bring integrity back to Town Hall. Is this a good start? Also, I'm sure you'll hear that Martin Piccirilo's behavior at the meeting was deplorable but that's another story. I am happy to report that the Board will act as a bipartisan unit when putting together their budget, which is a good first step to your bipartisan uptopia.
As I said, I wasn't there, so I don't know what was done or said. But I am required to say once again that I am not a lawyer, that I haven't been a lawyer for 25 years, and that I was never a member of the Connecticut bar. If I don't do this, I will be publicly accused of illegal conduct by a member of the Republican Town Committee.
What actions did the Democrats promise to stop that you know occurred? And did the Democrats fail to stop it?
The question that your description raises is, Why would a forensic investigation firm do any work based on the words of one Board of Finance member, when it is directed by acting finance director Ed Swinkoski and there had been no BoF vote? In other words, did Hallahan talk to the firm about doing further investigations, or did he order them to do it, and did they accept his orders?
This is what I mean by providing a clear and complete description, and not making assumptions. But I don't know what was said or what happened, so I can do nothing more here than ask questions.
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10 comments:
Are you serious? Great this is the last thing we need. I'm against all the knitpicking the Repubicans do but this sounds like a serious accusation against the Democrats. And if it turns out to be true, the democrats aren't any better than the republicans. We should start and Independant Party in North Haven!
William H--
It seems that Mr. Hallahan acted on his own accord by ordering the firm to do the supplemental audit and they did so. They performed the audit and charged the town an additional $2500. The point was brought up by Mr. Doheny that this was never brought up to the Board and it was never voted on. Mr. Hallahan thought he had but when Mr. Doheny and Ms. McCarty suggested to check the tape, Mr. Hallahan implicated himelf by saying that if he had indeed done something illegal it was in the towns best interest, which in my opinion is not a reasonable explanation of the actions he took.
To also answer your question. I don't know why a forensic audit firm would act without vote of support from the Board. I don't know what conversation Mr. Hallahan might have had with them.
They will go back and review the tape but if the supplemental audit was never voted on by the board, this could mean big trouble. I must publicly commend Dean Volan though for a wonderful start, he did a very good job.
In addition to that, there is no mention of a supplemental audit to be done on any meeting minute. Mr. Hallahan said it was discussed at the last meeting, however after looking at the last minutes and seeing it wasn't there, Mr. Hallahan changed his story and said that it might have been at an earlier meeting. Even Mr. Volan said that he didn't recall and wasn't "100% sure a vote or discussion took place". You would think that a motion to carry out a supplemental audit that cost the town $2500 would be important enough to be put in the minutes. Robert, do me a favor, run for office and clean up this.
Robert Wechsler--
This will get cleaned up without my having to run for office and lose in a landslide.
This comment (actually three comments) was full of assumptions and suppositions, some of which I deleted (one was based simply on someone not saying something). There was an accusation that the Charter and CT laws were broken, but no mention of what provisions. You can’t just say laws were broken, if you don’t even know what laws, and base your accusations on guesses and suppositions.
This is what I mean about fairness. There were many people potentially involved in this matter, and who knows at this point who did what wrong.
It certainly sounds like Hallahan at least screwed up, but this doesn’t mean he was doing anything nefarious. Hallahan is not that sort of person, as much as people may want to make him out to be. And if what seems to have happened did happen, it’s possible that the forensic investigator also acted unprofessionally and something might have to be done, at least about making it clear who’s in charge of the investigation and who is not.
Finally,we actually might have found a real mistake here! Oh Happy Day!!
Oh Well.....See we told ya....That's it!!! This whole Democratic administration is corrupt....We knew it along... We need to run them out of town hall on a rail,imprison their cronies, burn their barns...... shoot their cattle,....... seize their property! This is an atrosity against mankind,
an abomination......We are all doomed!!!..........And as if this isn't horrific enough......I heard that Janet took an extra 15 minutes for her lunch the other day!! I shudder to think what might happen next...... God help us all!!!
Robert, if you can disregard the near insane comments of the last person, I found that Mr. Hallahan and Ms.McCarty might have violated the provision under the Twon Charter in Chapter 7 Section 707.
"The several Offices, Boards, Commissions or Agencies of the
Town shall not involve the Town in any obligation to spend
money for any purpose in excess of the amount appropriated
therefore unless the matter has been approved in accordance
with Section 707 D. hereof, and each order drawn upon the
Town Treasurer shall state the Office, Board, Commission or
Agency or the appropriation against which it is to be charged.
When any Office, Board, Commission or Agency except the Board
of Education and Probate Court shall desire to secure a
transfer of funds in appropriation from funds set apart for
one specific purpose to another, before incurring any expenditure
therefor, such Office, Board, Commission or Agency shall
make application to the Board of Finance whose duty it shall
be to examine the matter, and upon approval of the Board such
transfer may be made."
I also took a look at the CT General Statute and it might be mentioned in Sec 7-348 and 7-349. I could be wrong but it looks like they are referring to something like this
Last night I attended the BOF meeting (1st meeting with the new administration) This board is going to go through some growing pains. The head of the BOF admitted he is learning on the job.
(taking responsibility) The board was vocal last night, except for the 2 ends of the table. Tim has stepped up as the watchdog. I'm not a fan of him, but good job.
Someone needed to fill this role. Hopefully he can be constructive.
It was a nice change to see the 1st
selectperson speak at the BOF meeting. She is not the most articulate but that's not a requirement for that position. She is honest and sincere. It was also a nice change to have the head of the board handle himself in a mature and professional manner. The last head did make a public statement at the end of the meeting- he has not changed since his retirement- inmature. Thank god the bully mentality is gone. The BOF must continue to move forward with the town best interest at hand. The citizens the North Haven need to be involed at the BOF meetings. This is going to be a critical year for the town of NH's finances.
INSANE?? Maybe.......... but INSANE IS AS INSANE DOES, my friend,
such is North Haven's current political landscape,not very comforting from a civilian's perspective. Step back and take a glance from the outside in!!! (White Coat Required)
You all should be medicated!
I attended the BOF meeting. Here are my thoughts:
1. Doheny's questions and comments overall were well thought out, although unpopular with some in the audience.
2. Procedural issues re: who ordered the expanded audit, as well as the mundane re: proper Robert's Rules, are legitimate.
3. Mr. Petersen (former BOF chair) needs to cool his jets. In general, the repubs need to back off and stop being petty. However, I understand why they are doing so...they are giving the Dems a little of what the dems were dishing out in a similar fashion in the past.
4. Martin piccirillo's outburst was an embarrassment. He also interjects too many "witty" comments for a public meeting. Moments of levity here and there are ok, but not several times at every meeting.
5. Hallahan is clearly a politco in every sense of the word. There always appears to be a political agenda every time he opens his mouth. He pandors and does not add much to the BOF IMO. The way he addressed Branigan (Pub Works Director) was disgraceful.
6. McCarty seems to have the town at heart, but she also pandors.
7. Both sides need to get down to the town's business.
Mike Peterson needs to go home and re read that cowpatty speech everyone was forced to listen to when he left his BOF position.
His comments in these public meetings don't really seem to line up with what he appeared to be trying to say in his little lecture to us all. Something to the affect of how no longer are petty party differences put aside in order to solve problems. What was that all about Mike? Please enlighten an ignorant taxpayer on how you're helping me and the town with your current rhetoric or for that matter how any of this nonsense you people are pulling in these meetings, is helping the Town of North Haven heal and move forward?
The problem that you're all not understanding that even though Mr. Peterson's comments, harsh as they were, he was absolutely right. Regardless if Mr. Hallahan wasn't being "nafarious" they might have broken a very big policy. I have no problem with changes in town hall but you can't go against the Town Charter to do them. I also took a look at the tape, which you can purchase at NHTV and they don't mention a single comment about a supplimental audit in the Nov or Dec meeting.
Martin Piccirilo is a disgrace the to board and I wonder if many democrats met Martin before they voted for him.
Look, the republicans have been waiting for this opprotunity for a long time. They are going to give the democrats exactly what the democrats have been giving the republicans, a lot of nit-picking and fuss about nothing. We shouldn't be surprised. The democrats can make mistakes based on the fact that their new, but if they knowingly did illegal actions which cost the town more money than someone should say something
Two things, William H.
First, the provisions you cite have to do with appropriations and the Board of Finance, not with what one individual may have done. Mr. Hallahan may have done something wrong, but he could not personally violate this provision, because it’s not about individual board members’ activities.
Second, if you truly believe that what happened in 2007 was “a lot of nit-picking and fuss about nothing,” then ... I really don’t know what to say. You’re talking about an administration that consistently voted against allowing town residents to ask them questions at Town Meetings. Is that nothing? You’re talking about an administration that didn’t bid out town contracts. Is that nothing? You’re talking about an administration that put together a budget full of lies. Not because I say so. The Register said the same thing, as has Mr. Gomeau (a Republican appointee), who has looked at it with more knowledge and care than any of us.
I don’t know who you are, William H., but either you’ve had your eyes closed for the last year, or you are full of spite. The Democrats aren’t angels, there’s no doubt about that. But compared with the past administration ... there is no comparison. Getting back for what happened to the Republicans? No, it didn’t happen to them, what they did happened to us. They got exactly what they deserved, and years too late. Look it in the eye and deal with it.
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