SHOE BOX FILER TO BE PROMOTED, FROM BAD TO WORSE?

Apparently Mayor Bronin doesn't understand that he is only a good as the people he surrounds himself with.

Bronin today announced that he will be elevating Leigh Ann Ralls to the position of Finance Director to replace the exiting Darrel Hill. 

Ralls won't have very big shoes to fill  after Darrel Hill leaves, which in this case is probably a good thing. For those not familiar with Ralls work, when she was interviewed in the past by City Auditors regarding abuse of City Credit Cards, she explained that the numbers were off because many of the receipts were not recorded properly and instead were found in a shoebox on a shelf in her office. From the Auditors Report it stated  she told the Internal Audit Commission that the P-card problem had been solved when all of the missing receipts were found in a shoe box on a shelf in the Finance Department .

 Her statement made it seem that this method was an accepted business practice in City Hall.

Well , I guess on the bright side ,the City is already broke, so how much damage could she do?

A quick search of the blog will bring up other content about Ralls. At least with the added responsibility, Ralls should be able to enlarge her circle of influence when it comes time for increased sales of Girl Scout cookies to her staff that answers to her and feel obligated to buy her treats

From Mayor Bronin to the Hartford City Council: 

Dear Council President Clarke and Members of the City Council:

As you know, Darrell Hill will be leaving his role as Director of Finance and CFO effective this Friday.  Darrell has served the City in senior positions since he arrived in Hartford in 2014, and I know you join me in thanking him for his hard work and dedication.  We have benefitted from his expertise and experience, and wish him all the best as he pursues new opportunities.

Though I have spoken to many of you informally, I wanted to formally share with you our plan to ensure a smooth and effective transition of responsibilities. 

First, I have asked Director of Management and Budget Melissa McCaw to assume additional supervisory responsibility as Interim Chief Financial Officer.  As you know, Melissa has more than fifteen years of experience in budgeting and financial management at the state and local levels, as well in higher education.  She is a tremendously skilled and trusted leader on our team, and I am confident that she will be an outstanding Interim CFO.

Second, I will be nominating Leigh Ann Ralls to the position of Director of Finance, reporting through the Chief Financial Officer.  Leigh Ann has managed key accounting processes as well as financial reporting for the City of Hartford since 2006, and she has twenty years of experience in public accounting.  She has served as Acting Director of Finance on multiple occasions in the past, and I am glad she is willing to continue serve in this critically important role.

The Department of Finance will continue to house many of its existing divisions, including Accounting and Control, Tax Assessment, Tax Collection, Procurement, and Human Relations.  The Capital Improvement Program and Risk Management functions remain part of the Finance Department, but will report directly to the Chief Financial Officer.  We will also be moving the Revenue Management division from the Department of Finance to the Office of Management, Budget and Grants, reporting to Melissa in her role as Budget Director.

I believe that this modest reorganization will allow for a more appropriate and manageable division of responsibility and authority, and will best position both the Finance and Budget Departments to continue their work as effectively as possible.  

Please feel free to reach out to me should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Luke Bronin