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EverettsPride
Advanced Member
1140 Posts |
 Posted - 06/12/2007 : 01:07:41 AM
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Chief’s wife rakes in $ from three town jobs: Lynnfield wants answers
By Laurel J. Sweet
Monday, June 11, 2007
Lynnfield officials want Paul Romano, 60, longtime chief of police and fire, to explain why his wife has been allegedly double- and triple-dipping from the town till while under his command.
In a strongly worded letter to Chief Romano, Town Counsel Thomas Mullen calls Anne Romano’s “extraordinary” earning potential as a police dispatcher, school crossing guard and call firefighter/EMT “distressing” and “troubling.”
Anne Romano, 55, was paid approximately $106,000 in the last fiscal year allegedly burning the candle at both ends. Her paycheck rivals the $128,000 her husband received as head of public safety. But selectmen want to know if she was really on the job, and if so, which one.
“We don’t know,” said Mullen. “The selectmen are concerned there appears to be an ethical issue here and they want to see the chief resolve it one way or another.”
Allegations of familial favoritism in this cozy North Shore burg that the Lynnfield Board of Selectmen will address at a June 26 hearing don’t just involve the chief’s missus. Michael Topping, Anne Romano’s son from a previous relationship, is a patrolman.
Mullen said the state Inspector General’s Office has been monitoring the Romanos’ situation since January and now the Ethics Commission, which could ultimately prosecute the chief if he or his wife don’t retire or resign, is investigating.
“I’d rather not have a discussion in the paper,” Romano, chief of police for 30 years and firefighting for 28, politely responded yesterday when approached at his home.
In a reportedly random review of her 2005 payroll records by an outside accountant, a “distressing pattern” emerged in which the chief’s wife was paid separately for hours common to overlapping shifts, Mullen said. For example, if she worked from midnight to 8 a.m. as a dispatcher, but was also down to work 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. riding with the ambulance as an EMT, she was paid double for working 6 to 8 a.m.
On April 13, 2005, while putting in for an eight-hour dispatcher’s shift, Anne Romano claimed she also answered a fire alarm call, while simultaneously working ambulance coverage. For two hours, “Mrs. Romano was on no fewer than three different payrolls,” Mullen pointed out to the chief.
And in a 64-hour span of time between March 16 and 18, 2005, Mullen said, “Mrs. Romano claimed to have actually worked a total of 62.75 hours.”
Selectmen reached yesterday declined to comment, but sources said it’s expected they’ll revoke an exemption to the state law governing municipal employees and their relatives that previous board members granted Romano in 2000. That’s when he persuaded them his “financial interest” in his wife’s employment wouldn’t influence his decision-making.
“We don’t want to take any action without giving the chief - and his wife, if she’d like - a chance to respond,” Mullen said.
Sally
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Court4Fred
Advanced Member
1201 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2007 : 9:12:46 PM
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Wow...nice work, if you can get it. Where the hell were the selectmen?
Don't forget that we had Fred pulling the same crap with one of his relatives, his sister-in-law, I believe. The former auditor put a stop to it.
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Edited by - Court4Fred on 06/12/2007 9:13:28 PM |
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card
Senior Member
117 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2007 : 07:31:34 AM
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I found this interesting in the boston herald people from Everett
Department of Mental Retardation Terri Morris
Program Coordinator I 37.5 $48,234.40 $46,354.00
Trial Court Philip Colameta T
Administrative Deputy Assistnt 37.5 $92,034.20 $91,688.30
Trial Court Sharon Ranieri
Case Specialist (Gr 7-10) 37.5 $33,944.40 $32,603.80
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arthur
Senior Member
212 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2007 : 08:16:18 AM
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EVERETT
Mayor says 'No' to tax override
Insists budget can be covered
By Katheleen Conti, Globe Staff | June 17, 2007
Disputing the city's auditor, Everett Mayor John Hanlon told city councilors last week that his proposed $125.8 million budget does not require overriding Proposition 2 1/2 to raise property taxes, and that it was up to the councilors to make any cuts.
After City Auditor Lawrence DeCoste told councilors at a hearing June 9 that Hanlon's budget puts the city over the 2.5 percent limit for a tax increase, the aldermen and common councilors, meeting jointly, asked Hanlon to make cuts and resubmit a new budget for Tuesday's hearing. But at the hearing, Hanlon disputed DeCoste's statement and said projected revenue sources, such as the sale of the former Devens School property, would bridge the gap.
"There will not be a Proposition 2 1/2 override requested by this city. I don't know how much clearer I can make it," Hanlon said. "The city auditor's discussion regarding the Proposition 2 1/2 was overzealous on his part. . . . He does not have all the facts."
The mayor also put the responsibility of cutting the budget in the hands of the councilors.
"My job is to give you a budget," Hanlon said at the hearing. "Your job is to work it."
State Representative and Ward 3 Alderman Stephen (Stat) Smith said he has "never seen such a ridiculous situation, that they would bring the budget down and say, 'You do the work.' You don't see this in other cities."
After almost two hours of discussion, the hearing was adjourned until this Wednesday, with the council agreeing that no action could be taken unless Hanlon and budget director Janice Vetrano produced a list of projected revenue for the upcoming year. Hanlon said he would provide the list to the council.
"If we don't know where funding is coming from, I don't want to make cuts that will cost people jobs or put the city in a position to affect the bond rating," Ward 4 Alderman L. Charles DiPerri said during the hearing.
Hanlon told the council that with anticipated new growth, "we can raise $74 million easy; we'll still have $4 million in our stabilization fund."
DeCoste estimated that, without overriding Proposition 2 1/2, the maximum amount the city can raise from property taxes for fiscal year 2008 is $71.5 million. The amount in property taxes that would be needed to finance Hanlon's $125.8 million budget, if it remains unchanged, is $74 million, putting the city $2.5 million over its estimated tax limit, he said. Last year's $112.2 million budget was $3.9 million below the tax limit.
DeCoste said he submitted his calculations to the state Department of Revenue for review, and he was told by agency officials that his methodology was correct. Revenue representatives, he said, suggested the city try to cut the budget before resorting to using money from the free cash account, or stabilization fund, to reduce the tax levy.
DeCoste, who was hired by Hanlon a year ago, said he was surprised at the mayor's comments about him.
"I'm absolutely concerned for my job. . . . The administration is making it really difficult right now for me," DeCoste said in an interview. "Everything was fine until Saturday. I don't know what I did wrong other than answer some simple questions."
Tuesday, he said, "was about making me their fall guy."
Vetrano said she and Hanlon were taken by surprise when DeCoste told the council on June 9 that the city was on the verge of an override. She said that when Hanlon talked to DeCoste on Monday, DeCoste apologized.
"Larry and I have always had a great relationship, but I just don't understand why there was no sharing of this, and no discussion," Vetrano said.
Common Council president Sal DiDomenico said he was disappointed Hanlon didn't suggest any cuts to the proposed budget.
"I think this is the perfect time to start cutting to offset costs in the next couple of years," he said at the hearing.
In an interview, DiPerri said he felt the budget process this year is disorganized.
"I have my doubts if there's anybody there who has a handle on what's going on," DiPerri said. "We don't expect the mayor to know everything, that's impossible, but he should have people around him to give him correct advice. We cannot approve a budget that's over the 2 1/2 limit, and we'll have to make cuts. It's unfortunate, but some people will probably end up losing their jobs because of this."
One certainty, Hanlon said, is that "taxes will go up. We have $6 million in increases we had no control over."
The City Council must pass the budget by June 30 or risk needing a supplemental budget July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
Katheleen Conti can be reached at kconti@globe.com
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whynot
Member
47 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2007 : 09:38:38 AM
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| well card in the first place they all have been there for awhile I mean they are due rasies in life just like our fire and police. but not city hall employees who are not union bound this city is out of control. and to arthur I can't wait to see what the tax rate is going to be, I say, sell now and take the money and run |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
 Posted - 06/17/2007 : 11:41:46 AM
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I have to disagree whynot. Saying that the many non-union employees at city hall don't deserve raises is unfair. It may ultimately be necessary, but it's not where the cuts should start it's where they should end. They need to cut as much as possible from all departments and all line items before they look at salaries and staff. Redundant staff like Ravanesi (and other Hanlon hacks) should be eliminated and raises should be changed to a reasonable 2% - 3%.
Of course, they can't actually cut Ravanesi. They can only eliminate his salary from the budget department salary account. It would be up to Hanlon to terminate him and he could always eliminate someone useful instead which wouldn't be the right or intelligent thing to do. And, since we know he's not too bright, and he's very spiteful, there is a very real possibility that he would do just that.
We only have a few days and we'll see what's in store for us........
I just realized what I wrote here............. Is there anyone in the budget department that's useful? Maybe they could eliminate the whole department. That's got to be worth a few bucks! |
Edited by - justme on 06/17/2007 11:44:28 AM |
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whynot
Member
47 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2007 : 12:04:22 PM
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| justme: I was answering to Card's post about the article in yesterdays boston herald where it lists the people from everett who got rasies and to Arthur's post I was saying sell your homes and take the money and run. The post that Card display are state employees lets not confuse city from state. As far as the city employees are concern I agree with you justme 2%/3% is reasonable |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2007 : 9:42:39 PM
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| Sorry whynot, I think I was still asleep! |
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michael
Senior Member
195 Posts |
Posted - 06/18/2007 : 4:20:31 PM
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card
Member
I found this interesting in the boston herald people from Everett
Department of Mental Retardation Terri Morris
Program Coordinator I 37.5 $48,234.40 $46,354.00
Trial Court Philip Colameta T
Administrative Deputy Assistnt 37.5 $92,034.20 $91,688.30
Trial Court Sharon Ranieri
Case Specialist (Gr 7-10) 37.5 $33,944.40 $32,603.80
wow does anyone know it that is Ranieri sister or cousin?
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Middle-Man 1
Senior Member
188 Posts |
Posted - 06/18/2007 : 5:32:11 PM
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| I believe it is his sister. I think she used to work for the City of Everett as a dog catcher a few years ago but I'm not 100% sure. |
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Not just in Everett ==Herald article
