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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Despite warnings, seniors rushed to support the senior millage. Many are now crying foul. Communities pay into the millage, but the Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission creates the rules and decides who gets the money. The rules seem to be in a constant state of flux.
I stopped a County Commissioner,who represents part of Flint, and asked if it was true that Flint has rules over the millage that are not imposed on other communities. The response was a resounding YES and an angry comment that Flint continued to fail to report on expenditures.
Another commissioner stated publicly that the Pierce Community center was nothing but a "coffee shop". Some at the Brennan Center allege their center was billed for expenses they did not receive. Council has questioned the delay in repairs at the centers, especially Hasselbring. One resolution to purchase new chairs stated seniors were falling out of the existing chairs.
When the genesee County Parks tried a similar millage it failed. That was because the parks Director completely explained the process. Communities did not like the concept of paying a tax and receiving benefits for their community only to receive benefits for their community only if their proposals were found worthy of funding. A community could pay the millage for the duration of the millage and never receive any direct benefits.
The groups pushing the millage had some worthwhile goals. More services for poor and homebound seniors, an extension of the "meals on wheels" program, and additional help through the visiting nurses. The county saw a vehicle to plug the gaps in some of their agencies and have diverted funding to the Sheriff and Prosecutors office. Most of these services have been reported in the wealthier areas outside of Flint.
WE NEED A REPORT FROM THE COUNTY ON HOW THEY ARE SPENDING THE REVENUES FROM FLINT. From the beginning Flint received benefits from less than half of their contribution. We need statistics on whether Valley Area Agency on Aging, the Visiting Nurses, and the Meals on Wheels program have been increased in Flint.
Who is running the Flint Program? Why can't they provide the required reports. Eason and Walling can't agree publicly about the problem. The requirement that Flint invest money in the centers before they can receive millage funding may shut down some centers. The only funding for these centers comes from the Flint Parks millage and grants. This funding is not sufficient for all of the uses it was to cover.
Can Flint justify spending general fund dollars on senior centers when we are laying off police and fire fighters?
Flint has over 65 parks and we cannot afford to maintain them.
A failure to maintain Flint trees for over 20 years and the ravages of destuctive insects has trees falling in every storm. Emerald Ash Borer necessitated the removal of all of the ash trees in two streets o the Evergreen Valley area. Maples are dying from the top down and their interiors are hollowed out by carpenter ants.
Senior Centers have been targeted for theft. Two air conditioning units were stolen from Haskell, one shortly after being installed. |
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Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:27 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Another lawsuit for Flint involving the senior millage is coming to an end.
Christina Conley Vs City of Flint 09-90840 NO judge Yuille
From the court documents:
After Mayor Williamson resigned and Mike Brown took over, Brown removed Conley (a white female) from her position working with the senior millage citing the budghet deficit although Conley was paid through the millage. Other employees, who were appointees, were removed as illegal employees if their positions had not been approved by the city council (not their appointment, but the actual job title for an appointee). This was per an ordinance created by council. Marcus randolph, ( son of Pastor randolph and a black male) was appointed, with council appoval, to the Parks and Recreattion Dept. where he assumed the duties that had previously been held by Conley. Randolph was also a Williamson appointee, except that was in the water division.
The allegations includes discrimination against Conley by race and gender. Other allegations include "whistleblowers Protection Act. It has been alleged that Flint co mingled senior citizen millage funds with the general fund. As a result both Conley and Leon Wesson had their salaries reduced as though their funding was out of the general fund.
The City stated there were no senior millage funds. But when Conley went to the county,she was told the money was sent over. Wialliamson agreed to repay the lost back pay to both Conley and Wesson.
Brown told Conley he was going to evaluate her position and that no decision had been made. Conley's position was terminated the day after the meeting. Brown cited the city's dire financial straits and did not respond when told ahe was not paid from the general fund. In her affidavit Conley states she asked Brown "Why don't you just tell me it's politics?" to which Brown did not reply.
While nothing shows on the City Council agenda, the court records indicate a settlement may have been proposed. The jury trial, which had been postponed for a long time, was to have been held on February 22, 2011. The records cit the case going to council on 3-11-11 and that is the last entry. |
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Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:28 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Many rumors have floated around that the then Budget Director Townsend did not timely deal with the county's initakl payments because he did not know what account to use. True or not, the city was slow to get up to speed on the millage and ended yp with carryover funds.
Recently Walling had to correct Eason over the funding and it's disposition. WaThis lends credence to the belief the money from the millage went into the general fund. How else would it be so hard to say where the money was? The county says the Flint accounting and reporting of money is so bad that the City of Flint has to comply with a set of rules created just for the city. |
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Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:36 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Walling says Flint can account for senior citizen millage funds, but Genesee County commissioners unsure after hearing from city administrator
Published: Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 5:29 PM
By Ron Fonger | Flint Journal
Greg Eason
A top city official told the county Board of Commissioners that Flint could not account for as much as $65,000 in taxpayer money to fund senior services — adding to ongoing uncertainty over the millage spending.
City Administrator Greg Eason told commissioners today that the city will make up for any improper spending of senior services millage funds it received in 2007 and 2008.
“I can’t really tell you where it went,” Eason said. “The city has responsibility for fully replacing it ... The city has to eat it. We have no choice.”
Still more confusion surfaced several hours later when Mayor Dayne Walling said that Eason “may not have been prepared for some of the questions” from commissioners today and said the city can account for “all the senior millage funds.”
Walling blamed the county for changing the way millage funds are dispersed for some confusion and said the county “needs to straighten out its process.”
Eason made the comments when asking the commissioners to allow the city to keep $92,000 in past funding from the senior millage by carrying those funds over to next year’s budget.
Commissioners — who asked for an accounting of how senior millage dollars advanced to the city in 2007 and 2008 were spent or for a ledger showing where those funds are now — delayed action Flint’s request.
The lack of accounting for the property taxes collected across the county as part of a 0.7-mill property tax approved in 2006 to benefit senior citizens has left commissioners with a difficult decision:
Allow the city to simply replace the funds that Eason said he can’t account for or hold back millage payments in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, creating a hardship for the city’s three senior centers.
If commissioners approve the city’s request to carry over the millage dollars, Flint would receive a full portion of the senior citizen millage money again this year rather than being penalized for improper spending.
Flint’s three senior centers — Brennan Community Center, Hasselbring Senior Center and Pierce Senior Center — are in line to receive $113,000 each from the millage in the coming fiscal year if the carryover is allowed.
Eason did not say where the city would get the $65,000 from but he told commissioners that if the carryover was approved he could spend the equivalent money on senior center improvements by the end of November.
Walling said the senior millage funds are in various city accounts.
Senior millage funds were given to Flint during initial distributions in the first two years the tax was collected — 2007 and 2008. Those funds are no longer given to communities and senior centers in advance.
Although Eason did not mention former Mayor Don Williamson by name, the administrator said the city “didn’t have our act together” in spending or documenting spending during the years Williamson served as mayor.
Williamson said his administration spent all millage funds on their intended purposes, contradicting Eason and Walling
“They have no idea what they’re doing,” Williamson said of the current administration. “It is very true that after me, they didn’t have their act together.”
Facing a recall election, Williamson resigned early in 2009. He was replaced on an interim basis by Mike Brown before Walling took over at the end of 2009.
Commissioner Brenda Clack, D-Flint, said county attorneys will have to advise commissioners on what they should do.
“In government, there must be accountability ... We can’t give them money with no accountability,” Clack said.
Commissioners already have approved carryover requests for senior centers in both Grand Blanc and Swartz Creek.
Last week, commissioners delayed Flint’s $92,000 carryover request after some board members questioned why funds awarded to the city in 2007 still had not been spent. Eason spoke to commissioners today in response to those questions.
Flint officials have said only about $65,000 of that $92,000 actually remained unspent. Planning Commission Director-Coordinator Julie Hinterman said that’s possible if spending occurred since June.
Commissioner John Northrup, D-Flint, said the county has to insist that Flint officials either show how the senior millage funds were spent on senior services, require the city to spent an equal amount on senior services, or have that amount taken from future allocations from the county.
“The city of Flint got the money,” Northrup said. “The Board of Commissioners is responsible for the integrity of the senior millage fund... They were given money to do a specific thing.
“It was taxpayers’ money (and) they haven’t done that.”
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Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:42 pm |
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