So who in Lack makes $787,000 a year?
Hmmmm.........
"Do ya wanna--come to "Lack"awanna....."
Bell, California: The Most Corrupt Town in America
Bell, California: little town, big problems. Eight city officials were arrested there yesterday, including city council members, the city manager, and the mayor, whose door was battered down by the police. The worst part? It wasn't a surprise.
Ever since the LAT broke the story earlier this summer of Bell's outrageous salaries for city officials (Sample: City manager Robert Rizzo was earning $787,000, for managing a city of less than 40,000 people), everyone's been wondering when the hammer would finally come down. Bell somehow managed to get more and more shocking as more of its city government was investigated—it wasn't just a few bad apples enriching themselves at the public till, it was almost all the apples. The city council members; the police chief; from top to bottom, the city paid its officials some of the highest salaries in America. It's a good illustration of what can happen when people have the power to appoint those who will set their salaries. (We're looking at you, corporate "compensation committees"). One councilman, Lorenzo Velez, received about an $8,000 per year salary; the rest of his colleagues paid themselves nearly $100K per year.
Good riddance to all of them, and may they serve as an example to every elected official in America, from jail. The fun part: those arrested yesterday are technically still in charge, according to the LAT. "Unless the four charged council members are convicted of felonies, removed from office by recall, or resign, they will remain the elected leaders of Bell, officials said."
What we need are term limits, followed by mandatory public floggings upon completion of said terms.
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FYI.......It is not so much their salaries per se, in "Lack"awanna BUT all the other bolony that is depleting the Lackawanna City Budget. Did someone say normans folly on Martin Road?
Yes it is legal to receive both a local and state retirement incentive,go to the NYS Comptroller web page to review mandates,....... BUT.......!
"LACK"awanna is the ONLY local municipality offering a $15,000 retirement incentive--ON TOP of the NYS retirement incentive offered since June 2010.
.......The "CITY" infrastucture is falling apart and why should the tax payers subsidize retirements to people WHO WERE GOING TO RETIRE ANYWAY? This is a different time and citizens are struggling daily to keep a roof over their head! WHY-WHY-WHY?
How much is in the FUND BALANCE, Normie?
So who in Lack makes $787,000 a year?
"I know you guys enjoy reading my stuff because it all makes sense. "
Dumbest post ever! Thanks for the laugh PO!
I did not say they have exorbitant salaries-----it is all the.....
Says
California's Bell Used as `Cash Drawer,' State Controller After Audit
By Christopher Palmeri - Sep 22, 2010 5:55 PM ET
Municipalities: 2010 Retirement Incentive Program for NYSERS Participants (6/10)
On June 2, 2010, Governor David A. Paterson signed Chapter 105 of the Laws of New York, 2010, creating a temporary retirement incentive (the "Incentive Program") applicable to municipalities who participate in the New York State Employee Retirement System (the "Retirement System"). The Incentive Program is designed to reduce budgetary pressures by eliminating government positions through offering early retirement incentives. Any employer that elects to participate in the Incentive Program can choose between either a Targeted Incentive (Part A) or a 55/25 Retirement Benefit (Part B). The retirement incentive is only available in 2010, and employees who elect to take advantage of the incentive cannot be replaced, making this program beneficial only to municipalities looking to reduce the number of positions on their payroll.
The city budget was cut and then they reinstated the cuts. Where did this new found money come from? How much money was dumped into that project on Martin Road? If they only sold 3 lots how much money is the city out of?
A lot of questions here but never any answers.
How much money did the city blow on its losing effort against Sorentto cheese? Talk about a waste of taxpayer money there!
Assistant City Attorney; special counsel.
The City Attorney shall appoint an assistant City Attorney and may, within the limits of appropriations by Council appoint special counsel to assist him or her whenever, in his or her opinion, the interests of the City so require. Whenever the City Attorney shall be disqualified with respect to any matter, the Mayor shall appoint special counsel, to represent the City for and with respect to such matter.
§ 6.4 City Attorney; powers and duties.
The City Attorney, subject to the Charter, shall:
A. Serve as attorney and counselor for the City and its several departments;
B. Conduct appeals from orders, decisions or judgments affecting any interest of the City, as he or she may in his or her discretion determine to be necessary or desirable, or as directed by the Mayor and Council;
C. Subject to the approval of Council, have power to enter into any agreement, compromise or settlement of any litigation in which the City is involved;
"Assist" is a very key word in all the duping---he is supposed to do his own work!
And the Council never gave permission to spend all the extra money for outside law firms----remember he already gets a City pension from the 90's and makes $75,000+super benefits. Then he has his private "Business of the Year" from the Chamber last year.
When I testified for Sorrento in November of 2009 there were "5" Hodgson Russ attorneys in the room doing the Lackawanna City Attorney's work.
CHA-CHING! And this is just the tip of it! They hide Hundreds of thousands in the City Budget for .......nonsense like this.
Money that could be put into playgrounds, a Community Center, etc.
ARTICLE VII Administrative Services (§ 5-60 — § 5-68)
§ 5-60 Departments of service enumerated.
The administrative service of the City shall be divided into the following departments and heads thereof:
Department Head
Administration and Finance Director of Administration and Finance
Development Director of Development
Law City Attorney
Office of City Clerk City Clerk
Parks and Recreation Director of Parks and Recreation
Public Safety Director of Public Safety
Public Works Chief Engineer
The above is all City law.
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Facts:
1. The Director of Administration and Finance job title is now filled by the "retired part-time" Comptroller for $30,000/yr since Feb. 2007. Double Dipper.
The Dupe: They re-created and hired a full-time friends and family member for $38,000/yr +super benefits to do the retired guy's work!
Charter/Code mandates a full-time "Director of Administration and Finance"--just let the Citizens vote on charter changes.
2. The Chief Engineer job title was changed as a political pay back in 2004 and the position is now filled by the "retired part-time" Commissioner of Public Works for $30,000/yr since he summer of 2009. Triple Dipper.
The Dupe: They created and hired another Working Foreman for appr. $50,000/yr to do the retired guy's work!
The Commish is busy performing his own dog and pony show while driving the City Silverado truck to Rodney's on the Lake to do City business.
Charter/Code mandates a full-time "Chief Engineer"--just let the Citizens vote on charter changes.
3. NYS Retirement Law states the positions MUST be Eliminated to save tax dollars----the City Clerk put in for retirement......
I tried repeatedly to get the Council to hold a public referendum on down-sizing all these positions to save money and to be in compliance with our own laws. Or just hire full-time competantant Department heads when others retire and eliminate all the other layers of friends and family fat.
Last edited by andreahaxton; September 25th, 2010 at 03:31 PM. Reason: Spelling and add ons.
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Print.Bell California? Nope, East St. Louis official found guilty of fraud
September 25th, 2010 1:01 pm ET.Do you like this story?
The FBI has announced that Michael V. Collins, age 49, of Swansea, Illinois, was found guilty of tax evasion for 2003, 2004, and for 2005, failure to file Federal Income Tax return for 2003, 2004 and 2005. Additionally, he was found guilty of election fraud for the March 2006, and 2008 elections. Collins was the East St. Louis Precinct Committeeman and Ex-City Council Member. This information comes from Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.
The original Indictment alleged that Collins committed tax evasion and attempted to conceal his income by commingling business and personal assets; by failing to provide his correct Social Security Number, by operating a business under an invalid Employer’s Identification Number. The Indictment further alleged that Collins knowingly and willfully give false information as to his address for the purpose of establishing his eligibility to vote in a voting district in East St. Louis when he was actually living in Swansea, Illinois. Sentencing has been set for January 7, 2011
No, it's not the city officials in Bell California, but it is just another example of corrupt government officials.
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Lackawanna City Charter/Code:
Officers and Employees (§ 5-38 — § 5-50)
§ 5-38 Residence requirements.
A. Unless otherwise provided by law, it shall be the duty of each officer and employee of the City during the period of his or her employment by the City, to maintain his or her residence and dwelling within the corporate limits of the City.
B. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any employee during a leave of absence duly granted. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall constitute misconduct and shall be cause for removal in the manner provided by law.
They made a law years ago that police and Fire could move out of the City of Lackawanna after 11 or 12 years of service, BUT...............WHEN did the City Council vote on the Department Head who has lived in Hamburg for years and years? Who was also the 3rd Ward Councilman in he 90's, and that made the law prohibiting trees between the curb and sidewalk. Thereby ruining the street scapes and curb appeal in OUR City.
--Now why would they not want to live in Sunny LA?
--Is he still a Lackawanna Democratic Committeeman?
#6
mnb811
Gold Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 868 The city budget was cut and then they reinstated the cuts. Where did this new found money come from?
The money came from the Fund Balance ---they were also supposed to pave the stretch of Ridge in front of St. Barbara's along with some other City streets last year, with some of it BUT.......
They played "Poli-Tricks" with the money and the demise of OUR critical Crossing Guards and other lay-offs. Now the Commissioner of public works says that, what I call the mine-field site, has to wait till next year to be paved. It should have been done and tied in with The Bridge opening--but noooo......
Why should norman or tome love care?---one lives in Hamburg and they both drive City of Lackawanna owned vehicles with free gas and repairs!
Shame on them! Kuryak paved the First Ward section of Ridge Road in 2003 and there still are NO pot-holes! From The Bridge to the Turnpike---go check it.
Something fishy they keep throwing out there when questioned about the Fund Balance and any City money in general---they use the word "allocated" to ........what about the "unallocated" money?
All they do is move budget lines around to fit their poli-tricks---all of the backs of the innocent tax-payers! And they are lining up their own political ducks votes to get elected next year by the Lackawanna "family and friends" club. Simple but pitiful self-serving agendas off the backs of the silent majority.
Last edited by andreahaxton; September 25th, 2010 at 05:17 PM. Reason: wrong word
Time for an investigation plain and simple.
California City With $800,000 Manager Gets S&P Rating Withdrawn
By Michael B. Marois - Sep 29, 2010 5:39 PM ET
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Business ExchangeTwitterDeliciousDiggFacebookLinkedInNewsvi nePropellerYahoo! BuzzPrint Standard & Poor’s withdrew its ratings on debt sold by Bell, the Los Angeles suburb that paid its city manager $800,000 a year, saying the city has failed to provide timely financial information.
The ratings company said in a statement today that it dropped coverage of the city’s general-obligation and pension bonds; its housing agency’s lease revenue bonds; and its redevelopment agency’s tax-allocation bonds. S&P didn’t cite a total amount of the debt. Fitch Ratings withdrew its ratings on Bell for the same reason on Sept. 20.
Former city manager Robert Rizzo, 56, was among eight current and former Bell officials arrested Sept. 22 and charged with misappropriating public funds and conflict of interest. The Los Angeles Times reported in July that Rizzo paid himself $800,000 a year and that part-time City Council members took home almost $100,000 annually, mostly by serving on municipal boards and commissions.
Bell, located about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, has a largely Latino population of 38,000. The city’s latest annual report put per-capita income at $24,800 in 2008. Statewide, the figure was almost $42,700 that year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
On Nov. 1, the city must pay the so-called bullet maturity on $35 million of taxable lease-revenue bonds sold in 2007 by its Public Financing Authority in a private placement. The principal must be repaid when bullet-maturity loans are due.
The city issued debt to buy an industrial tract with plans to lease the property to Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, the Times reported. That deal fell through after the city was sued for failing to conduct adequate environmental reviews, the Los Angeles Times said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Michael B. Marois in Sacramento at mmarois@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Tannenbaum at mtannen@bloomberg.net
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The Mayor is the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer of city government. He enforces the laws of the city and requires faithful performance of all administrative duties. As the Chief Executive, the Mayor, has veto powers over legislation enacted by the City Council.
MAYOR NORMAN L. POLANSKI, JR.
Secretary to the Mayor: Maureen Gambino
Telephone: 716.827.6464 Fax: 716.827.6678
Email: mayor@ci.lackawanna.ny.us
Plotted it out and schemed himself to be the next CEO--Executive Director of the LMHA at appr. $70,000/yr+ another free SUV! When he's done ............WHAT? Just what has HE and his "Team" done for LA? Does he answer every phone call like he promised? Is he a full-time Mayor? ************************************************** ********
CITY OF LACKAWANNA
Planning & Development Board
COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Wednesday May 26, 2010
Roll Call :
Frank Krakowski Present
Daniel Hawrylczak Excused
Fran Warthling Present
Kathy Galanti Present
Michael Sobaszek Present
Kevin Surdyke Present
Ronald Spadone Present
Meeting called to order 5:15 pm
Old Business
Motion to approve minutes for 2/24/10 meeting: Warthling: Second: Krakowski
All yeas carried 6-0
New Business
Item #1
Development Plan Review Martin Road Sub-Divison
Martin Road
Request approval of cover maps and parcels
Krakowski explained all the necessary steps needed to approve the Martin Rd project.
Motion to approve maps and parcel: Sobaszek: Second: Surdyke
All yeas carried 6-0
Item #2
Site Plan review OLV
Final Phase
Presentation by contractor on the Final Phase Main St
Motion to adjourn: Galanti: Second: Warthling
All yeas carried 6-0
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