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| No problem, these puzzles next |
Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop, 7/29/14. "Search for assistant city manager almost complete."
"City
Manager Lorie Tinfow said this week she has made a conditional offer to
hire someone for the city's new
assistant city manager position. The
offer is conditional pending a routine background check, which is going
on now. Tinfow said she hopes the new assistant city manager will beg
in
work in Pacifica September 2.
City's financial review. A
certified public accountant began work reviewing the city's finances.
At the direction of the city manager,
the CPA is taking a fresh look at
the city's books to see how past financial problems began and how to
correct them. Tinfow said she expects the work will be finished by
September to be presented to City Council in October."
Note photograph: cube and tangram puzzle by Niano Liu, from Classical Classical Chinese puzzles, art and ingenuity.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
37 comments:
I give the CPA a week before he jumps off the city hall roof.
What is more likely to happen is the CPA finds something and has a "accident"
Getting splashed with whitewash is the only accident that might befall our friendly CPA on this job. I suppose after some review they'll be able to point at what they spent money on from Vree to Nihart, but it's going to take an especially thick coat of whitewash to erase the question of how come none of our useless public guardians noticed the deficit spending for years and years. Or did the smarter bears notice and plow right ahead? Wonder what our former CMs would say on the issue. Make that a really really thick coat of whitewash. Better get a tanker truck of the stuff.
Our previous city manager said he was going to stay in Pacifica. They didn't even take down his name tag on his office door, and he sold the house and ran for the hills.
If they can not find $4 million bucks who will even look for a missing cpa?
Hell of a choice. Either council was too stupid to know they were spending millions they didn't have or they covered it up. I don't buy stupid. Not entirely. I'd love to know how and when this was discovered and what Mr. Rhodes has to say about who knew what and when because, again, I don't entirely buy stupid.
Rhodes retired just about as soon as he qualified for Calpers. Cash out and go. Reasonable. Ritzma didn't get the CM job. She's now endearing herself to the City of Foster City as HR Director.
What's the deal here?
In any company in America, an employee or department in charge of monitoring resources would be VIGOROUSLY investigated for the misplacement of $4,000,000.00
This is no laughing matter. We've gotten too used to everything being done half-assed in Pacifica.
This requires real scrutiny and a determination to get to the bottom of it.
703 Amen! The buck stops with this council, or should. You mishandle 4 million in public funds, you don't get to investigate yourself. You don't get a pass because "at least you're better than the nimbys" or because it's an election year. This CM reports to council just as her predecessors did. Her job depends on them. Her audit is not an impartial investigation. Get the county in here to protect the public and to hell with the politics! Why would an elected official want less?
I have no doubt that this missing $4,000,000 has it's roots in the dark and devious era of Vreeland, Lancelle and deJarnut.
The current Council's culpability is still very real but more likely due to their inexperience and/or incompetence.
All the more reason that they should be pushing harder than anyone to get to the bottom of this debacle.
If they want our re-election votes they better jump on this.
Didn't someone say here that Tasa was called in on this. Or it was at least reported to Pacifica PD?
The good thing is a CPA will have to divulge any illegal activity found or their license would be on the line.
945 It's already been mentioned that in 2003 there was a deficit in these funds of about $2 million. It's grown to 4 million since then and no one seems able or willing to say how. In what fantasy land are these people living that they think they can now investigate this themselves through a CM who reports to them using a hired CPA working within limits they set? They seem willing to assume no malfeasance has occurred, but it should be proven to the public beyond any doubt and this council should set that in motion now. For their own good as well as that of Pacificans. The public also has every right to know how this happened and why it took so many years to come to light. Open and transparent government, please!
I don't think there's 4 million missing. Rather, they've spent 4 million and can't say what they spent it on. Missing documentation. Hardly inspires trust. Foxes in the hen house doing some unconvincing
investigation is not enough when public funds are involved. Get the county in and some forensic accountants or whatever it takes. Restore trust or step down.
7:03 If it was a private company the public would probably never hear about it.
If it was a publicly traded company it would have to be explained in the yearly report.
This council is following same pattern;now working on sewer fund!
July 30-4:41pm You are so off base Anonymi. Steve Rhodes is a friend and again I say you are way off base here.
708 Both privately and publicly held companies take aggressive action, and, when warranted, pursue people right into jail for far smaller amounts. They zealously guard their assets and their reputations. The City of Pacifica has neither assets nor reputation to be worried about and this DIY investigation is guaranteed to maintain that status quo.
708 It's not. It's the public's money and the standards for openness and honesty are supposed to be higher, although clearly not in Pacifica.
Chris Porter, you misunderstood 441.
Something's rotten in Pacifica, but it wasn't Rhodes. IMO he did a good job in a very challenging situation. People retire and move away all the time. Means nada unless someone wants to misinterpret it.
I'm real clear on who reports to whom at city hall. As someone else posted, the buck stops with this council.
I bet Rhodes, never even said goodbye to the people who supported him the most on here.
1223 Any hope this entire council will do the same? Heads bowed in shame?
So shortly after Mary Ann was elected to council she said she went to ever department head and talked shop about finances etc.
Either she fibbed and the talk never took place or the Department heads all fleeced her, and didn't tell her about the missing or un accounted for monies.
Rhodes did not retire. He was retired. His contract was coming up and not renewed. He wanted to stay and was bummed he could not. I speculate they had found Lorie at some council of cities meeting and were moved by her mad (in a good way) library building skills. The council was somewhat perturbed by the blog talk and went through the motions of doing a city manager recruitment, with no intention of picking anybody but her...it was all her from the get go, even before rhodes left. 12:23, wrong Mr. Rhodes had a party at a council meeting, with cake. He was wished off well and wished every one well....as well. I agree with 11:39, he did a good job, with what he had to work with. To what extent he knew of the 4 million in question, I cannot answer.
307 Thanks for refreshing my memory on a related subject. I recall very clearly after Nihart took office her inner circle bemoaning how depressed she was when she learned just how bad the city finances really were. Must have felt let down by her pal Vreeland. Heard it a lot. No longer a fan, but the woman is too smart and far too ambitious to be surprised on her watch by a misplaced 4 million in public funds. There's something else going on here, probably just cheesy politics. Rhodes was above average, but probably a little too ethical for a couple of the politicians to whom he reported. Common problem in that job. Plenty of people saw that during that whole outsourcing charade.
Achilles probably has it right. Just speculating here... while out making all those valuable career contacts, someone who really needs that library met Tinfow and was immediately smitten. The woman got a library built without voter approval. Without voter approval. That's hot! It's a wonder she wasn't stuffed in a backpack and carried off to Pacifica right then and there.
IMHO the 4 million is old news at city hall, but knowing the funds have been depleted, does not mean you understand the legal and financial implications, although your colleague might. Somehow, someway we're being manipulated here. And, over the past 10 years council has spent 4 million dollars they didn't have. And they're still doing it with the sewer fund. Can we get a bar in that library?
@307 Everyone but Michael Crabtree in planning. Handwriting. Wall.
We don't know who knew what regarding the 4 million.
I agree with whoever said an investigation by forensic CPA's needs to take place. Do we go to the county or state to request this?
Until then the public will have no faith in the city asking for more of our money.
531 Seems like council would welcome and seek an impartial investigation if they are as befuddled as they claim to be. If some or all of them know more than we've been told, now's the time to share with the class. Crusades have started with less provocation.
If enough public noise is made in Pacifica the newspapers will investigate for us.What is going on in Pacifica?
1106 We don't know if it's malfeasance, serial incompetence or someone at city hall making a mountain out of a mole hill for their own agenda. And we have no way of knowing. A DIY investigation wouldn't seem to pass the smell test. The public is supposed to have trust in its elected officials. Do we?
Could be a job for the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury. From their website: CA impanels County Civil Grand Juries every year to conduct civil investigations of county and city government and to hear evidence to make recommendations or to decide whether to return indictments.
They have a website with more info.
First thing you do when you might have someone with "sticky fingers" or the "hand in the till" is you look to see if anyone made any big purchases.
The Grand Jury yawns and says oh man not Pacifica again. The county on the county level does not care one bit about Pacifica.
July 31 @1106pm: I hope your not suggesting that the Tribune might do some "investigative journalism." past experience has shown me that nothing negative gets published without the permission of City Council.
$4,000,000 unaccounted for by any standard or in any situation is a serious offense.
It is not making a mountain out of a molehill to insist that this be resolved.
Honest, ethical and competent leadership would insist on a fully transparent and impartial investigation.
Without trust - game over.
Is a Pacificagate scandal developing?
Oh, crimebusters say just look in the driveway? I lean more towards incompetence and some arm-bending and funny numbers to keep it quiet rather than theft, but who knows? The whole thing reeks. Pacifica provides more than its share of laughs for the county, lots more, but isn't 4 million dollars in public funds enough to justify an independent look see? Our well-earned reputation for incompetent local government shouldn't get us off the hook. Council is basically saying 'oh don't worry, we're sure that money is here somewhere'. Pretty bold bullshit, even for Pacifica. Play the raucous laugh track right here.
858 The Trib? Take a look at that editorial board. Between them and council it's like long-tailed cats in a room full of rocking chairs. That message is gonna be very carefully managed.
Achilles....Steve Rhodes DID retire of his own accord.
Yes, he did retire on his own after serving his time well. Old enough, lots on his plate, pensions waiting. Why stay? That does not in any measure take away from the absolute bug-eyed euphoria of some when Ms. Tinfow was discovered. And then, oh I'll be darned, all this stuff about the funds comes out. Broadway couldn't do it better.
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