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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2012 : 5:49:27 PM
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I realize that you have to take a lot of the stuff that gets posted on Topix with a great big grain of salt. But I didn't post that rumor here without thinking about it first. I didn't post that other part of the rumor because I too couldn't believe that anyone could get away with something like that twice either justme.
As far as what I did post, after I thought about it, I realized that I had heard it from two people that I trust. And I just checked the job postings on the city web; a new posting would seem to corroborate it even further. Still don't know anything about the other part of the rumor though, or the handcuffs part of the story either.
I'm sure that some of these department head jobs could be difficult to fill; but it is hard to believe that, especially given the state of the economy, that so many of them have been open for as long as some of them have been. It's hard to imagine that there aren't some qualified candidates out there that are willing to work for what the city pays. And the more department head openings that there are, the harder and harder it must be for the administration to keep an eye on everything.
So far the transfers that have been requested for this fiscal year (all fairly valid requests, IMHO) haven't tapped into too much unused salary money. If the unused salary money isn't transfered, it'll end up as free cash. And I'd have to say that, even though the city hasn't had a lot of it the last two fiscal years, the administration really hasn't tried to spend free cash like there's no tomorrow in those two years either. We all know that could change with a single item on the agenda though.
So, I don't really get what's going on here; and I also don't get why the city council isn't asking either. As far as the budget goes, I would hope that the Mayor puts into it all of the positions that he wants next year and the salary maximums for each. If he can convince the city council that what he needs to run the city effectively, then they need holds him to that. But I'm not going to hold my breath on that. In order to do that correctly, I would have thought that we may have seen at least a version of an administrative code by now. Haven't heard much about that. |
Edited by - tetris on 04/12/2012 5:54:00 PM |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
 Posted - 04/12/2012 : 8:50:26 PM
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Sorry Tetris, I wasn't thinking when I wrote that post.
I just checked out the city job postings for the first time. The Parking Clerk's position isn't posted. Was it previously?
I certainly agree with you about the number of openings. I have a very qualified friend who's resume was hand delivered to Bob Joy by an employee awhile ago. She never got a call & she can run circles around half of the department heads currently employed. And as an added bonus, she lives in the city!
If I remember correctly, open positions that the mayor planned on filling were included in the budget last year. I imagine he'll do the same this year.
Transfers to date have been reasonable but we're fast approaching crunch time. May & June is when department heads seem to realize they've overspent &/or need to transfer funds. Not sure why no one watches their spending the rest of the year. I've never figured out who is supposed to be doing it, the auditor or the budget director but whichever one it is, I don't think any of them ever have ever bothered. At least not for the last 20+ years that I've been paying attention.
Of course the finance committee is supposed to have some responsibility as well, but they're always completely surprised when transfers & requests for additional funds appear on the calendar.
Oh well, the beat goes on & nothing changes. One of these days I'll just say the hell with it but for now, I'll just hold my breath & hope they don't bankrupt the city until after I've taken my last breath........... |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 07:26:57 AM
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I can't say that I look at the job postings on the city web site on a regular basis justme; but I do recall looking at them once or twice lately and I can't remember ever seeing the parking clerk's job posted there. My memory's not what it used to be though.
I agree that any open positions have to be included in the budget. What I was struggling to say yesterday (and I don't know that I'll do any better today) is that I believe that the budget needs to be the financial blueprint for what an administration wants to do in the next fiscal year. If the Mayor wants to create a CFO position, that needs to be in the upcoming budget; but to implement that correctly, you'd also think that parts of the budget would also be reorganized to reflect such a change, such as it was in FY'12 budget for the departments that now make up the inspectional services division.
But before making such a major change, you'd think that they'd want to know if the legislative branch will support it first. The way that the CFO position is supposed to be introduced is thru an administrative code; but since the city doesn't currently have one, that would be a major undertaking too. And since an administrative code can only we voted up or down as it is presented, it would be a sizeable undertaking with no guarantee for passage. But if a budget passed with a CFO position in it, they'd have to scramble to put together an admininistrative code before the budget went into effect.
It seems to be a "chicken or the egg" situation. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. But to try to get back to my original point, I just don't think that the city should mess around with its financial blueprint midstream. If the change is going to be made, now is the best time to sort it all out, IMHO. |
Edited by - tetris on 04/13/2012 07:29:49 AM |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 12:51:06 PM
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I also do not understand why no one is watching spending during the year. I know councilors that have requested monthly burn rates and I have yet to see it....or see people follow up on it. Monthly burn rates are essential.
As for the rumors on Topix....I know of one firing for sure and was told from a reliable source that a fairly new employee was terminated for stealing over $3000.00 in gas. That's because no one is watching and no one is in charge. I also heard housing is in a lot of trouble because someone is stealing rent checks and cashing them. This all falls on one person, the mayor, and he better do something about it. This is our tax dollars that are getting stolen. These are the ones that got caught. I wonder who has not been caught and how much more tax dollars are missing. We are the ones that will have to make up for that deficit and it's not right. |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 1:23:49 PM
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Department Heads are supposed to be monitoring employee activity, watching over their budget, & for those departments that handle money, tracking receipts. Not having those positions filled puts everything squarely in the mayors lap & he can't possibly know what's going on................ Especially since he either isn't in the building or he's holed up in his office!
I really want to be optimistic about the future of this city but frankly it's getting harder & harder to do that................ |
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Linda M
Member
43 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 10:10:58 PM
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Just saw this on Topix
Now that the City Eng. job is posted and we're rid of Marble Mouth Julius, can we know S$&tcan the other half of the comedy act, Mush Mouth Elroy!:)
I'll miss those two moroons babbling about effin walls every two weeks!....NOT! |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2012 : 2:40:03 PM
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Buried in the online version of the Advocate this week (they've been running similiar pieces every couple of weeks for a while now):
O ye! There seems to be more unnerving rumors coming from someone who probably knows regarding a Federal Grand Jury’s investigation of fraudulent absentee ballots in the latest state election. Word around town is that the feds are hearing the end of the probe and they’ve got the goods – and it doesn’t look good for the alleged culprit or culprits. We all know that rumors and whispers are usually just that. But, that’s not what I’m hearing. Let’s wait and see! |
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"Fly" on the wall
Member
0 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2012 : 3:10:55 PM
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| Rumor has it they have a certain someone on camera pulling a ballot out of a mailbox. Now it's just a waiting game! |
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Linda M
Member
43 Posts |
Posted - 05/16/2012 : 9:48:46 PM
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| the rumor has been confirm the chief of police has pick a new secretary after getting rid of Donna White, the new secretary is Dawn Colameta from City hall, what will Freddy Cafasso do now for his meetings? |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2012 : 09:25:12 AM
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| That's an interesting choice. I wonder if it was his decision or Carlo's........... |
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cozulady
Senior Member
165 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2012 : 1:11:31 PM
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| Its interesting. Last night was the annual police memorial service and the Mayor did not show up. Rumors have it he was handing out citations in another city. Also, budget hearings rushed so soon after handing out the budget books because he has a vacation planned and did not want the budget hearings to interfere with his time. |
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card
Senior Member
117 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2012 : 1:15:49 PM
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SECTION 6-4: ACTION ON THE OPERATING BUDGET
(a) Public Hearing - The city council shall publish in at least 1 newspaper of
general circulation in the city a notice of the proposed operating budget as
submitted by the mayor. The notice shall state (1) the times and places
where copies of the entire proposed operating budget are available for
inspection by the public, and (2) the date, time and place not less than 14
days after its publication, when a public hearing on the proposed operating
budget will be held by the city council.
WHAT DOES THIS ACTUALLY MEAN, ANYONE OUT THERE
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2012 : 1:52:11 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by card
SECTION 6-4: ACTION ON THE OPERATING BUDGET
(a) Public Hearing - The city council shall publish in at least 1 newspaper of
general circulation in the city a notice of the proposed operating budget as
submitted by the mayor. The notice shall state (1) the times and places
where copies of the entire proposed operating budget are available for
inspection by the public, and (2) the date, time and place not less than 14
days after its publication, when a public hearing on the proposed operating
budget will be held by the city council.
WHAT DOES THIS ACTUALLY MEAN, ANYONE OUT THERE
The public hearing notice was posted online just today. It's May 29th.
I haven't seen it in any papers.... so I dont think they are in compliance with the charter.
What's the rush? There's 6 weeks and NO ONE has had a chance to go over this budget.
My question is - What are they trying to hide? Is the city council not going to vote on the budget this Saturday? Why have a public hearing after the fact? Serves no purpose. These meetings should NOT be taking place this week.
Everett city council office
484 Broadway, room 38
EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS 02149
617-394-2237
JOINT CONVENTION-PUBLIC HEARING
In accordance with the new City Charter, Section 6-4: Action on the Operating Budget,
the City Council will hold a Public Hearing on the date, time and place below; hereby
notifying residents of the proposed operating budget as submitted by the Mayor. Copies
of the entire proposed operating budget are available for inspection by the public at the
Parlin Library, City Clerk’s Office and the City’s Website You must be logged in to see this link.
Date: Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Peter J. McCarren Memorial Chambers
484 Broadway, Third Floor
Everett, Massachusetts 02149
Subject: To all interested parties in the submittal of the
Proposed operating budget as submitted by the Mayor.
Respectfully posted, mailed and publicized,
Caroline McCorry
Administrative Assistant / Office Manager
Everett City Council Office
Posted in accordance with the provisions of M.G.L.,
Chapter 39, Section A, B, C on Wednesday, May 16,
2012 at 10:53AM.
Attest: Michael Matarazzo, City Clerk
PH002-12
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2012 : 10:04:37 PM
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I'm not one for leaving things until the last minute (unless I'm the one responsible for them, of course) but I agree. There is no need to rush the deliberations on the budget. A decision on spending so much money should not be made in less than a week. Unless, of course you subscribe to a "not over-thinking" philosophy.
I understand that the normal method of holding a public hearing is to do it before the legislative branch starts their deliberations. But holding it afterwards could work; it would give the average citizen the opportunity to react to things said during the budget hearings and comment on them rather than feeling that they that to understand the budget by themselves in order to make a cogent comment on it. If done that way though, some process would have to be place to address the concerns heard during the public hearing. Otherwise, it would be a toothless, but not totally useless IMHO anyways, exercise.
I've scoured all local three papers this week and didn't see a public hearing notice for the budget. The way that I read that section of the charter seems to say that the hearing couldn't been held until at least 14 days after the publication of the notice. Publishing it in any of the local papers this week wouldn't have allowed them to hold the hearing on the 29th. Maybe somebody realized that. Or more likely, it got screwed up...again.
If I'm reading that section of the charter correctly and the public hearing is supposed to take place first, it would seem that even the charter itself is implying that action shouldn't be taken so quickly on the operating budget. |
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streetsmart
Member
37 Posts |
Posted - 06/09/2012 : 08:15:38 AM
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| HERE IS THE LATEST IN THE RUMOR MILL IN EVERETT, WE ALL KNOW MELISSA IS PREGO AND NOT GAINING SO MUCH WEIGHT, THANK YOU JASON MARCUS FOR CLEARING THAT UP, KEVIN NOONAN FROM NOONAN ICE CREAM WAS JUST HIRED BY THE CITY TO BE PETER PET'S ASS'T NOW HE CAN SELL ICE CREAM DOWN AT THE CITY YARD, RYAN LEFAVE WAS HIRED BY THE CITY TO WORK IN THE PARKS, OH AND THE 911 DIRECTOR'S CONFIDENTIALLY JOB SHE WILL BE IN THE AUDITORS OFFICE OR THE NEW AUDITOR, MM WASN'T SURE. |
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