Search This Blog

Friday, August 9, 2013

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER HARTFORD CITY HALL MESS

Hartford's Internal Auditors are sure keeping busy these days and the latest Audit report has pointed out some huge problems.

I guess we should be getting used to this by now. The incompetence and mismanagement under the Segarra Administration is almost an everyday occurrence. But the sad part is many of the problems are pointing directly back to Julio Molleda, Segarra's Director of Finance.

The P-card problems and the scathing audit report...Molleda at the helm. The violation of all travel policies and reimbursements....Molleda at the helm. And now, the most recent report into Hartford's Payroll operations...Molleda at the helm. This is the Finance Director being paid well over  one hundred thousand dollars a year ,and   for what? It can't be for his management because there appears to be none.

And let's not forget the acting Chief Operating Officers explanation to the Audit Commission for the $30,000 in missing Credit Card Charges charges, they were found in a shoebox on a shelf in the Finance Department. Yes , you read that right, the City of Hartford maintains its Financial documents in a shoebox on a shelf according to Saundra Kee-Borges.

The report is posted below , but a couple key points. Over ten thousand dollars was apparently paid to one City employee by mistake. According to the report that money has not yet been recovered. The overpaid employee is not named in the report, but that would be interesting to find out who they are and if they are still employed by the City. According to the report, there have been numerous over payments on payroll, but apparently only one of the employees, a Hartford Police Officer, brought the overpayment to his supervisors attention

The most troubling finding that appears in the report is that apparently the City has not filed or forwarded to the State and Federal government the income tax and payroll deductions taken out of City employees checks for the last year and a half. Where has the money gone? And what will that eventually cost the City, hence us the taxpayers, in penalties and interest? It can't be cheap.

An interesting side note, I was told by one source this morning familiar with the federal filing requirements that the individuals required to handle the filings could be held responsible for the penalties and interest. Get out your checkbook Mr. Molleda, this could be interesting.

With the size of the payroll of the City of Hartford, for a year and a half worth of deductions, I would think it will be substantial. And where does that liability come from since we have already closed out the last fiscal year.

The parts about tax forms being mailed  to City retirees that are deceased is just another indication of the incompetence. But I am not sure Segarra minds being the stuff that good jokes are made of. His administration becomes more  and more of a joke everyday and he is the only one that can step up and change that.

So much for the makeover I guess.


15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Julio had to leave the BOE after a couple million $$ was "misplaced". So naturally Pedro would want to hire him.

IRS said...

Pedro is so disconnected and dysfunctional nothing would suprise me anymore. So, my next question is where is the King of Grandstsnding/Mr.Showboat, that do nothing Ken Kennedy on this Finance issue. Where's his resolution to inquiry what happened or does he not care that the city hasn't paid its payroll taxes in over 18 months. Instead he continues to pick on the PD by the latest agend for Mondays council meeting his statement is quite clear on the COPS grant resolution. He ates the Police and wishes there were less of them.

Ken start to focus on the real issues and that's trying to get the city more viable buy getting the tax base up and business to move into the city. If you keep going after the employees there will be noting left not even the council seat your fat ass sits in, do something good or get out, you've over stayed your welcome.

Karma is a bitch ... said...

Ken kennedy, u are truely a zero. There is nothing you can do to use. I will work more pjs in a work week then cheesburgers you stuff down your pie hole . Im sure there is dirt on you, there always is, and then you time will come to an end

Anonymous said...

The penalty could be significant if the city didn't file for over 18 months. Kevin, please foi the total amount withheld that was not paid to the state and Feds. Was this an oversight if it was brought to their attention during the first audit or maybe this is how the finances are balanced at the city? As a citizen I am outraged that this will cost us taxpayers in the long run. Mr mayor it's time you take action, fire this clown and the rest of those who continue to embarrass you and the city!

Anonymous said...

Penalties? Deduct it from this recycled BOE employee "yes" man "Director's" salary of $150,000 Hahaha! What qualifies him for the job!? "which way is the wind blowing Molleda.". So anticipate the next tax bill! Can Taxpayers sue the Mayor (class action) and his cabinet for double dipping (pension/rehired hacks against City ordinance) thievery, blatant nepotism, terrible hires, and disregard for the taxpayers? cmon george jepson, do your job and forget the politics!!!!!!!!!!!! Start the process or your gonna be the joke of ct....this is the state capitol for cripes sake!!!!!!! Enuff of this.

Anonymous said...

"Responsible persons" under IRS includes "officers" so watch out mr mayor, skb, and council as you all are also on the hook as responsible persons under IRS definition. Now lets see how much responsibility they take. My guess will be none!

Art Dibiasi said...

Most of this info in incorrect.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

Art Dibiasi,

So lets hear the correct information. The auditors report seems pretty clear

Anonymous said...

The million dollar man said it not true Brookman, who you think your messing with? So dump stump like borgas ? The million Dollar always gets his way ...... Meniacal laugh ...........

Anonymous said...

Since information on this blog was quoted by Mr DiBlasi as incorrect, let me quote some IRS rules right from the IRS manual. The IRS considers failure to file or failure to pay employment withholding tax "a serious matter" further that failure to pay is "stealing from employees of the organization" (in addition to the fed government). The penalty for filing late is 5 percent of the unpaid tax for each month the payment is late. The penalty will not exceed 25 percent of unpaid tax. The penalty for failure to pay tax is 1/2 of 1 percent of the unpaid taxes for each month. This penalty can be as much as 25 percent of the unpaid tax. Penalties can be waived for "reasonable cause not willful neglect". If you look up what constitutes "reasonable cause" not having a payroll manager, asserting that you didn't know someone else wasn't doing their job, etc etc are NOT valid to determine reasonable cause. Furthermore as an attorney I would argue that since this was originally found and brought to city management attention in 2012, such arguments are invalid. The individual responsible include officers of the organization (mr Molleda included here) along with those responsible for signing checks (Treasurer) and governing bodies (such as council members and Mayor). Individuals found to be guilty of willful neglect (or just ignorance and lack of doing your job) can be held personally responsible and face "individual penalties" and or "federal imprisonment or both".

Sound like a big deal to me.

Anonymous said...

Wow, City Hall is on fire!!!...the more I tune in for updates the more interesting it gets..Kevin, you most certainly have the town talking. Everyone is spitting out everything they know, no holding back.

It's interesting that the City Hall appears to be running smoothly, with all the these big paychecks being paid out. But, the reality is that it is not. Starting with the leader of the pack; the Mayor has forgotten his role, Pedro is lost in his ego trip,traveling everywhere to get ideas, (for what), he's too busy cutting and collecting Ribbons,and building up his photo albums. That he doesn't know whats going on.

Mayor Pedro really believes that all is well. He has so much confidence in his group of incompetent friends. Yes his friends,the city management staff are having a field day, they too are following in his steps. It's more like vacationing at the taxpayers expense. Everything seem to be completely out of control. His best friends that are supposed to be the best managers, they are just not working out. The City would not be in this predicament. If Pedro would have appointed normal decent folks. It's hard to hold your friends accountable for the mistakes, Many of the Hartford citizens are not aware of what's transpiring in the everyday functions of our City. For the last six month, everyday is a brand new dilemma. The Mayor, and his crew of incompetent attorneys and the nonexistence council are ruining our City. When the Feds come in, his friends will no longer be his friends.

This show must be stop as soon as possible. A chamber full of attorneys and the City is being so badly managed. Shame on Pedro, who appointed all these sorry ass folks, I'm sure that there are some high school grads that can probably run the City better and for less money. The City is a complete mess, starting with the Mayors office all the way down to the HPD the HFD, BOE and the list goes on, even the City Council is a complete joke.

Pedro wake up, get off cloud nine and come back to reality, HARTFORD needs a Mayor.

Anonymous said...

How many more scandals and mismanagement does the mayor need before he takes action? Take action now mr mayor and save what you have left of your administration which at this point looks like none!! Can we have a recall election?

Anonymous said...

a certain political couple,one an appointed official and the other an elected official will benefit by the wife's involvment with the consulting company hired to undertake the HR Director search

jeff said...

maybe i will become a democrat, move to hartford, tell all the citizens they will get whatever they want, run for office or dept head, win that position, make 100k/yr get my own gold visa card, rack up food on the tax payers expense, have an article about me done by wethepeople. and tell the citizens it wasnt my fault, continue my job and pay off the mayor with caviar. sounds right for hartford elected officals

Anonymous said...

Everyone at the City knows molleda is really an employee of the BOE. He does only what THEY tell him as he has no independent thoughts or leadership etc. He was a BOE employee and still remains a BOE employee....if you listen closely you can hear crickets....no wonder the mess!