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.