jj's blog

Jean J posted in the Toxic Topic:

“there should be someone besides you asking these questions…”

You are absolutely right, but apparently the anonymous bunch behind this have the media and their hip pockets and don’t want both sides of the story exposed.

Jean J posted in the Toxic Topic:

“what about the write up of the Mayor by the State Board of Accounts?”

What about it, are you perfect?

The information I think you are referring to is the State Board of Accounts audit of the City of Greensburg Annual Financial Report.

You are actually being slightly misleading again, it was really not a “write-up”, or a “write-up of the mayor” as you state. It was simply a comment in the “Audit Results and Comments” section of the report.  It is a public document, why don’t you ask for a copy? Here is a quote from the report:

“OVERTIME PAID TO STREET COMMISSIONER

Mark Klosterkemper, Street Commissioner, was paid $484 in overtime pay during 2010. The City Council established the Street Commissioner position as an exempt employee. Section 3.16 of the City’s personnel policy states: “Exempt employees are exempt from specific provisions of federal and state wage and hour laws and are not entitled to overtime compensation or compensatory time off under specific provisions of federal and state laws.”

Each governmental unit is responsible for complying with the ordinances, resolutions, and policies it adopts. (Accounting and Uniform Compliance Guidelines Manual for Cities and Towns, Chapter 7)

Helen Gardner, President of the Common Council, and Gary L. Herbert, Mayor, stated that the City’s Personnel Policy Committee will meet to address this issue and take appropriate action.”

Klosterkemper worked on Lincoln Street after hours. The truth is Klosterkemper and the city engineer saved taxpayers thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars on the Lincoln Street project.

The Mayor felt Klosterkemper deserved to be paid for work performed.  He is not perfect and Klosterkemper was paid and according to the audit he is an exempt employee and should not have been paid. If it were me I would have resolved the immediate issue by having Klosterkemper return the money and I would have given him $484 bucks out of my own pocket.

The Helen Gardner, the President of the Common Council and Gary L Herbert, Mayor, were quoted stating they would have the City’s Personnel Policy Committee address the issue and take appropriate action.

The Mayor has the right to ask the common council to change the policy and approve the payment, and the common council has the right to decline.  That’s Democracy. Where’s the beef?

Again I will ask are you perfect? Do you think you could work as the Mayor for 3 1/2 years and never make one mistake?

Just keep making mountains out of mole hills.