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Thursday, April 29, 2010

HOW TO BUDGET EDDIE PEREZ STYLE... LESSON #1, CREATING A DEPARTMENT WITHOUT ANYONE REALIZING YOU ARE CREATING A DEPARTMENT


Apparently Mayor Perez has had enough heat placed upon him for a couple of the positions housed in his office. Perez's Capitol Projects Manager James Keaney has been the focus of much discussion and criticism related to Perez. At the time that Keaney was hired, part of his contract deal was a city "take-home" vehicle. According to sources, Keaney requested, and was provided with, a luxury SUV with heated leather seats. To this day, Keaney drives that car back and forth to his home in Cheshire daily at the taxpayers expense.

Further criticism was dumped on Perez when it was revealed that Perez gave Keaney an "ESI" bonus at the time Keaney was hired to boost his salary to more than $180,000. ESI bonuses are intended to be used for existing employees who go above and beyond their job descriptions as a way to reward them.

Perez was further chastised when it was revealed the man James Keaney was hired to replace after his "retirement", was actually hired back as a "Special Assistent to Mayor Perez" at a rate of $85.00 per hour. Charles Crocini was rehired by Perez at about the same time others were being laid off. Even at a part time position, Crocini was(and is) making more than many City employees working full time.

And then add on to that Perez's decision to hire a full time "Energy Czar". He's only making about $90,000 a year, but I don't think he demanded a luxury SUV with heated leather seats, so there is a savings right there.

So, apparently Eddie had enough of being embarrassed by adding staff to his office through the back door approach without the Council's knowledge, in the middle of a hiring freeze none the less.

Well, this year a slick little entry in the Mayor's Budget Book caught my attention.

After reviewing this years budget proposal outlining the Mayor's Office budget, I was encouraged that Perez had come to his senses. No funding for Keaney, Crocini and the rest of the "hiring freeze hires". Was Eddie actually making cuts that made sense, an appropriation line showing -0- dollars.

My hopes were dashed when I got to page 22-1 and saw a "new" Office of Capital Assets. I asked a staffer from the Mayor's Office if it didn't require Council approval to create a new Department or Office? Nope, not if you are slick like Eddie.

Apparently, if no one questions the appropriation and the Council approves the budget, the new department would appear and be legal. Sounds a little underhanded to me, but at least it is out of the Mayor's Office and no one will notice then, too late, sorry.

So I guess Perez can say he reduced his office's budget when he is asked, he probably wont say that he buried the City's highest paid employee somewhere else, on page 22-1 of the budget book

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A LITTLE FYI, HOW DOES HARTFORD'S MIL RATE COMPARE STATEWIDE

First off, what is a "mil"? Here is the official definition form the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM)

Mill Rates

Description

A mill is equal to $1.00 of tax for each $1,000 of assessment. To calculate the property tax, multiply the assessment of the property by the mill rate and divide by 1,000. For example, a property with a assessed value of $50,000 located in a municipality with a mill rate of 20 mills would have a property tax bill of $1,000 per year.

Local property tax mill rates have been set for individual Connecticut municipalities for fiscal year 2009-2010. These rates are based upon the 2008 grand list and are available below. These are the most current mill rates and are reflected in each municipality's July 2009 tax bills.


Hartford's mil rate is approaching 80 mils. Here is a listing of all towns and boroughs for the State of Connecticut and their respective mil rates. The next highest mil rate is New Haven at 42.21.

Here are a few others:

Bridgeport 38.74
East Hartford 31.67
New Britain 34.98
New Haven 42.21
Stamford 26.50
Waterbury 39.92

Take a guess who is top on the list.

2008 Mill Rates

IT'S TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT BUDGET CUT IDEAS


Just about every City of Hartford employee I speak with has numerous ideas how to cut the budget and reduce spending. Almost every resident can point out an inefficient area in city services. It isn't too hard to identify some waste, and in the end it all adds up.

A couple of the obvious ones are repeated time and time again at Council Meeting public sessions, but no changes seem to be made. City vehicles being used excessively for who knows what reasons. A constant example is the Assistant Police Chief who commutes daily to Stamford, CT in a city vehicle using the city's gasoline.

It would seem to me that the reason for a "take-home" vehicle is to be able to respond back to the city in an emergency. If you live an hour and a half away, is there really a need for anyone to respond back. I would hope that there would be enough qualified people on duty to have the situation under control in much less time than it would take to drive back from Stamford. Not a huge amount, but it all adds up.

A complete review of city vehicle usage needs to be conducted and the policy revised. I won't even go into the luxury SUV assigned to the Mayor's Director of Capital Projects.

A driver for the Mayor. Leadership starts at the top, and a Mayor should lead by example. Can we really afford to have someone driving the Mayor around, especially lately when that job consists of chauffeuring the Mayor and his wife from their home to the courthouse. On several days when I checked during jury selection, the Mayor's city-owned Mercury Mountaineer SUV and his driver were sitting in the parking lot of his attorney, directly behind the courthouse. Again, probably less than $60,000 (plus benefits) but it all adds up.

Sarah Barr, Director of Communications, Mayor's Office


Numerous media spokespeople. Probably half a million dollars, if not more, are spent on what the city calls "media relations". Most other people would call it media "spin" and the Mayor's Office actually calls it furthering the "Gospel of Perez". The Board of Education has a couple people handling "media relations" at salaries of over $100,000 each. When was the last time you saw a press release from the Board other than bus schedules. In reality, when media people check with the Board regarding an incident in a school, they are met with a firm "no comment". I would think a staff person could do that for much less.

The Police Department has at least 2 people handling the media and their website. Since the blog for Chief Roberts on the HPD website was last updated in August of 2009, I might question the need for that position. The Public Information Officer for the PD, a uniformed Sergeant who could be used on the street, works Monday through Friday during regular hours. The majority of incidents that the media is interested in typically happen after normal business hours.

When an incident happens after hours, a ranking officer in charge for the shift sometimes speaks to the media and on many occasions the Chief himself speaks at 2 or 3 in the morning if he is at the scene. Couldn't this happen 24/7 and free up a sergeant for the streets and save a "website coordinator" contract worth over $65,000.

Then the Fire Department has a PIO (public information officer) a Captain assigned for media relations. Probably another $80,000 a year plus salary (not including benefits). At any major incident there is always a Deputy Chief (always at least one if not more)and in most cases they speak to the media as needed.

And then there are the disciples spreading the "Gospel of Perez", also known as propaganda and spin, from the Mayor's Office. The numbers probably will never be accurate to the public as to how much is devoted to "media relations" out of the Mayor's Office, but salaries alone are probably over a couple hundred thousand dollars.

Couldn't one person operating out of the Mayor's Office handle all media relations as needed. If you look at the number of press releases generated by all of the various "media people" on a weekly basis, it would probably be hard to fill a 40 hour week for just one person. This could be a sizable amount of cash saved if one person co-ordinated media relations.

Many major cities, including New Haven, coordinate media relations through the Mayor's Office and centralize their operations reducing redundant positions. If the PD and FD can have ranking officers handle the media, why do full time positions need to be assigned. Again, it all adds up.

In addition, last year at budget hearing time the issue of city cellphones was brought up, and numerous cellphones couldn't be accounted for, even though the city was still paying the bills. Sounds like a savings is available there, who knows how much that could add up to.

Just a start, but it amounts to reduced spending. Fell free to post any ideas.

LEGAL MALPRACTICE OR INCOMPETENCE ? ROSIE STRIKES AGAIN


John Rose once again was the topic of conversation at Monday nights Council Meeting. Much of the debate was regarding a move to clarify the City Charter and whether John Rose should issue an opinion or should the Council just skip right over him and get an outside opinion.

On Tuesday, it seemed to become quite clear that Rosie does not have the best interests of the Council first and foremost. Almost 24 hours after the Council meeting, Rosie sent an e-mail to all Council members advising them that in his opinion they had broken the law the previous night. The e-mail from Rose to the Council outlining his thoughts is below.

The question arises though on whether the Council is actually receiving proper advice from Rose. He has exhibited his disdain for the Council on numerous occasions, and this is just one more glaring example.

If Rosie sat through the meeting and observed this perceived illegal activity and said nothing , it can amount to one of two things. If he didn't realize the actions were improper and had to research it the following day, that is incompetence. Although he makes it quite clear that he is ignorant of, or unwilling to obey, FOI laws, the Council deserves much better representation when dealing with the business of the City.

If Rose sat there and knowingly let the Council proceed down a path he knew, or felt, was illegal I would think that would constitute malpractice. If this was a game of "gotcha" to show the Council who's "the boss", Rose should be removed from Council meetings permanently. If necessary, someone competent from the Corporation Counsel's Office should be assigned to serve the Council since Mr. Rose is incapable, or unwilling to do that. Although in considering the track record of the Corporation Counsel's Office, finding someone competent in that office might potentially be a problem.

Rose 4-27-10 Email

A COUPLE MORE FOR THOSE WHO FELT LEFT OUT, WE CAN'T ALWAYS BE SERIOUS

HARTFORD'S VERSION OF DANCING WITH THE STARS
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THE SOUTHEND HULA DANCERS
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FRED AND GINGER

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JUST AN IDEA TO CLOSE THE BUDGET GAP

Here's a performance I'd pay to watch. It could be a fundraiser to close the budget gap. Maybe the Bushnell could host it, starring Mayor Eddie A. Perez, Chief of Staff Susan McMullen, Chief Operating Officer David Panagore, Corporation Counsel John Rose and of course Director of Communications Sarah Barr (no performance of the Mayor would be complete without her).

Possibly we could even open the performance with a short prayer vigil for the Mayor

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