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Commissioner meets with Council about audit's findings
By Brian Meyer, NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: January 12, 2010, 12:51 PM /
Problems in Buffalo's Human Resources Department are being addressed, an embattled city commissioner assured Common Council members today.
A scathing audit released last week has fueled "misconceptions and misunderstandings," Human Resources Commissioner Karla L. Thomas told lawmakers as she appeared before the Council's Finance Committee.
Following the 90-minute meeting, Thomas accused a Council foe of subjecting her to a political "attack," city auditors of "mischaracterizing" comments she made in a meeting, and The Buffalo News of "besmirching" her professional qualifications.
In an opening statement during today's meeting, Thomas wasted no time pointing out she wasn't commissioner during most of the audit period that spanned from July 2006 through December 2008. She was hired by Mayor Byron W. Brown in September 2008. She said she knew her department had huge problems the day she walked in the door, problems that she claimed date back two decades.
The audit by the city comptroller's office raised concerns about overpayments of health insurance premiums, paperwork backlogs, the absence of checks and balances and poor delegation of tasks.
The audit found that the city made double payments for health insurance for up to 250 sanitation and water division workers, resulting in a $526,309 overpayment. The city is seeking reimbursement from the insurer.
Darryl McPherson, the chief auditor who oversaw the review, said there is "new enthusiasm" for addressing problems. Thomas took issue with this statement, saying the enthusiasm has been there from the start. "I brought it with me when I came to City Hall," Thomas told lawmakers.
Most of the recent criticism leveled at Thomas had to do with her interactions with auditors last month. When officials were discussing the the magnitude of the problems, a memo indicates Thomas "rebuffed" them by saying "TMI," meaning "too much information."
McPherson said Thomas told auditors last month that she did not want to be included in e-mails that discussed how to develop and manage procedures regarding the processing of payments. Thomas later said the "TMI" remark she made to a human resources staffer and her e-mail message were "mischaracterized." She said she never meant to imply that she has a "lackadaisical" attitude, and she stressed her ongoing efforts to solve the department's long-festering problems.
Meanwhile, McPherson struck a more conciliatory tone today, saying some improvements have already been made in the Human Resources Department. "Our work is never about personalities and politics; it is about efficiency for the public good," said McPherson.
But tensions were evident at the meeting. Thomas accused Council Finance Committee Chairman Michael P. Kearns of focusing on past problems and trying "to hold me alone responsible" for them. Kearns is a former mayoral candidate who was defeated last fall by Brown.
Thomas said most of the problems have been caused by two factors: the absence of a senior accountant in her department and a decentralized computer network that hasn't allowed "three computer systems to speak to each other." Both problems are being addressed, she said.
The meeting ended on an acrimonious note when Kearns accused Thomas of continuing to immerse herself in local politics after promising some lawmakers she wouldn't engage in such activities if they gave her a job that is supposed to help insulate city employees from politics. Thomas insisted she never made such a vow, claiming she only promised to resign as chairwoman of Grassroots, a political group founded years earlier by Brown.
Kearns asked Thomas if she has been involved in politics. "I'm not going to dignify that political question in these proceedings," she replied.
"So the answer is yes," Kearns replied. After the meeting, Thomas admitted that she attended a political endorsement meeting, but she claimed she only dropped off paperwork at the request of a candidate. Kearns said he was at the 2009 meeting, and he claimed Thomas made a "presentation" on behalf of county Legislator Barbara Miller-Williams.
Thomas accused Kearns today of launching a political "attack" on her character, after he told her that he confidence in her is waning. Thomas also criticized recent articles in The Buffalo News. "I feel like I've had a vicious attack on my character. I've had my qualifications besmirched," Thomas complained.
Auditors said they discovered numerous former employees � including some deceased individuals � on city records for prolonged periods. They're trying to determine whether health benefits were paid for any dead people. They know of at least one instance in which the city paid health insurance for an employee who had left the payroll many months earlier. The audit depicts an operation plagued by bulging paperwork backlogs, a lack of checks-and-balances, a need for employee training and other deficiencies.
Some Council members said they think a big part of the problem is that the comptroller's office hadn't audited the division in 17 years. University Council Member Bonnie E. Russell said she thinks there should be mandated audits of key offices at specified periods.
Brown said last week that he is "deeply concerned" by the audit's findings. He announced that city finance experts and attorneys will lead an effort to make required changes. Brown also expressed disappointment over Thomas' response to the audit.
PHOTO: Karla L. Thomas meets with the Common Council this morning in City Hall.
Harry Scull Jr. / Buffalo News
bmeyer@buffnews.com
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