Fraud Hotline generating few tips

[kernwatch]

Is is unclear whether there is little "fraud waste & abuse" (FWA) in City government, or whether informed citizens have little confidence that the Comptroller is committed to addressing it.

One powerful weapon in fighting FWA is audits by the Comptroller, but no audits have been filed by SanFilippo in well over a year. None of the proposed audits in an "annual Audit plan" filed last July has been completed. That despite the fact that the proposed audits were 'audit-lite', having little or no impact on needed systemmatic reform in city government.

SEE: http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/Lea...r/AuditReports

Indeed, the Comptroller's Office has too often appeared to symbolize politics-as-usual in Bflo.

I have repeatedly focused the "Farina Factor" as illustrative of SanFillippo's lack of ethics, & was threatened with arrest last September during a visit to Bflo for inquiring whether Farina had finally moved into the city after being the highest profiel residency offender I have found. Farina had been paid over $1/2 million in salary + benefits over 6 years while living in Niagara County. He now allegedly lives in his 5th apartment in the city.

Meanwhile, Farina's major role has been (illegal?) taxpayer-funded 'in-house' campaign manager for SanFilippo. Farina also serves as well-paid political consultant for Erie County political candidates, whiel not registered to vote in Erie County.

And, while not investigating anything needing change in City Hall as "award-winnning" investigative reporter, Farina is a "senior writer" for controversial Illuzzi-letter.

Does anybody believe that SanFilippo really wants to ferret out fraud waste & abuse?

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregio...ry/421931.html

BUFFALO: City’s fraud hotline generating few tips
By Brian Meyer, Updated: 08/24/08 1:30 PM


When a new hotline was set up six months ago to take calls about possible waste, fraud and abuse in City Hall, no one had a clue how many whistle-blowers might call with credible tips.

The phones haven’t exactly been ringing off the hook. The hotline has received 46 calls — less than eight calls a month.

Of these tips, 17 merited investigation.

Only one call involved abuses that could be documented — and those involved problems that city officials were already probing in a unit that cleans up neighborhood blight.

City Comptroller Andrew A. San- Filippo said the hotline he created in February proves Buffalo doesn’t need an $80,000-a-year inspector general. Mayor Byron W. Brown proposed creating the new office to be headed by a highly experienced investigator.

“At this point, I don’t know if it’s necessary to create another layer of bureaucracy,” said SanFilippo. “We’ve done the job for $300.”

The comptroller was referring to money spent to buy equipment for a hotline that can be reached at 851-8779. People also can send tips via the Internet atwww.city-buffalo.com/fraudhotline. Information can be provided anonymously, or individuals can leave their names if they want to receive follow-up information. While Brown said his plan to hire an inspector general to ferret out fraud and abuse is not on his “front burner,” he has not abandoned the concept.

“I still think it makes sense to have someone dealing with these issues on a full-time basis,” said Brown. “The office could be proactive and not just wait for calls to come in.”

But the mayor added that he’s open to further discussing the issue with SanFilippo and the Common Council.

The mayor proposed creating the new office last year, shortly after two former public works officials appointed by the previous mayor pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from trips they took from companies that did business with the city.

Tipsters calling the comptroller’s fraud hotline have furnished information ranging from concerns about how some city-owned vehicles are used to claims that employees are breaking residency rules by living in suburbs. A residency investigator’s position has been vacant for years, making it difficult to build evidence against possible violators.

Darryl McPherson, the city’s chief auditor, who oversees the fraud hotline, said very few calls have produced a shred of evidence involving wrongdoing. A lot of people are calling about personal beefs or perceived slights, he said.

“Perceived injustices don’t always mean abuse,” he said.

bmeyer@buffnews.com

[joe d.]

Is is unclear whether there is little "fraud waste & abuse" (FWA) in City government, or whether informed citizens have little confidence that the Comptroller is committed to addressing it.

One powerful weapon in fighting FWA is audits by the Comptroller, but no audits have been filed by SanFilippo in well over a year. None of the proposed audits in an "annual Audit plan" filed last July has been completed. That despite the fact that the proposed audits were 'audit-lite', having little or no impact on needed systemmatic reform in city government.

SEE: http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/Lea...r/AuditReports

Indeed, the Comptroller's Office has too often appeared to symbolize politics-as-usual in Bflo.

I have repeatedly focused the "Farina Factor" as illustrative of SanFillippo's lack of ethics, & was threatened with arrest last September during a visit to Bflo for inquiring whether Farina had finally moved into the city after being the highest profiel residency offender I have found. Farina had been paid over $1/2 million in salary + benefits over 6 years while living in Niagara County. He now allegedly lives in his 5th apartment in the city.

Meanwhile, Farina's major role has been (illegal?) taxpayer-funded 'in-house' campaign manager for SanFilippo. Farina also serves as well-paid political consultant for Erie County political candidates, whiel not registered to vote in Erie County.

And, while not investigating anything needing change in City Hall as "award-winnning" investigative reporter, Farina is a "senior writer" for controversial Illuzzi-letter.

Does anybody believe that SanFilippo really wants to ferret out fraud waste & abuse?

MUST BE.. ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES ARE EXTREMELY HONEST....or are very good covering their "indiscretions"

[Save Us]

This whole area is waste, fraud and abuse,, it's just so prevalent that nobody notices it.

[kernwatch]

SanFilippo has been City Comptroller since 2003, having now worked in the Comptroller's Office for over 30 years.

If anybody knows 'where bodes are bured' in City Hall, SanFilippo does. Yet his pattern has been to do few audits, & too often chose to "audit-lite" in areas where big problems were unlikley to exist. The audits too-often appear to be 'politically-safe' instead of genuine efforts to ferret out (& eliminate) fraud, waste & abuse.

For example, BMHA urgently needs auditing, but it is (politically) 'too hot to touch'.

And Citi-Stat, promised by the Mayor to avoid the very dramatic waste again being exposed in Human Resources Dept, should be audited as well. Again, 'too hot to touch'.

Making matters worse, SanFilippo battled the Mayor a couple years ago to take over monitoring of "Fraud, Waste, & Abuse", eventually won , but then hired as 'chief-investigator' an "insider" City attorney who had no known qualifications to investigate or prosecute it.

So citizens, being both untrusting (& too often apatehtic), reported little 'FWA' on the new HOTLINE.

SanFilippo had many indications the there were serious problems in the Human Resources Dept, but he gave monitoring it low priority so the waste continued.

Here is his "promised" list of 9 (or more) audits for FY 2009-2010, filed last June . . & the mere five that he has filed during the recently ended fiscal year.

And there is no promise so far of what he willl audit in the new fiscal year that began July 1.

SanFilippo appears to be sleeping on the job as fiscal watchdog!

http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/Lea...r/AuditReports

Audit Reports

(Fiscal Yr (FY); Date Filed: Common Council Communication

(FY)09-10 5/20/10 Substance Abuse

(FY)09-10 2/11/10 One Sunset - BERC

(FY)09-10 12/30/09 Division of Compensation & Benefits ♦ Response to Division of Compensation & Benefits Audit Report

(FY)09-10 11/19/09 Petty Cash Audit

(FY)09-10 10/7/09 Council Staff

http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/Lea...r/AuditReports

TO: THE COMMON COUNCIL DATE: June 25, 2009
FROM: THE DEPARTMENT OF
AUDIT & CONTROL
SUBJECT: Annual Audit Plan –
Fiscal Year 2009-2010
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 7-5 of the Charter of the City of Buffalo, I hereby submit the Annual Audit Plan for the fiscal year 2009-2010.
(1) BERC – A continuation of the audit brought about by allegations related to the One Sunset loan. The audit will look at other loans and BERC’s lending practices.

(2)Common Council Staff – (as required by Charter Section 7-5(5)): This will study the time and attendance policies utilized with this exempt group of employees.

(3) Human Resources Department (Division of Compensation and Benefits): We will perform an efficiency and internal control review of the health care billing process.

(4) Economic Development, Permit and Inspection Services Department – demolitions: We will look into the bid process, the timeliness of payment, accuracy of record-keeping, and timeline for awarding of demolition work to completion.

(5) Management Information Systems Department - inventory control policy: As thousands of dollars are spent on new equipment each year, it is reasonable to inspect what goes where and how the replacement schedule is determined.

(6) Electronic Accessories (cellphones, Blackberrys, laptops) and take-home vehicle compliance: City-owned equipment is literally floating around the City on a daily basis. It is time to develop an inventory of who has what and to ensure that safeguards exist to prevent abuse.

(7) Division of the Treasury – cash management: This should be a routine audit of the checks and balances of the City’s daily cash intake system.

(8) Division of Water – revenue: This should be a routine audit of American Water’s revenue tracking and internal controls.

(9) Petty Cash – We will inspect how various City departments manage and account for their petty cash. This may also include surprise counts of selected departments at various times.

(10) In addition, the Division of Audit will stand ready to conduct timely investigations that may arise in the course of the year as warranted. It is our goal to route out inefficiencies in City departments and agencies and address gross improper practices as they arise. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact this office.
___________________
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Andrew A. SanFilippo
TITLE: Comptroller