Harry Jones Rejects Claims Of Poor Job Performance...Charlotte DSS

Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Manager says officials have been "open" about DSS Investigation


County Manager Harry Jones on Tuesday defended the county's investigation into spending across the Department of Social Services and said he's trying to shift attention to other issues.

Speaking at a county commissioners' meeting, Jones took aim at claims the county has not been open enough in sharing information about the DSS probes. He repeated statements made by officials in recent months that they can account for about $162,000 spent by a Christmas charity last year.

He said the county has documents or money to show how the money was spent by the Giving Tree, but that they cannot offer assurance the money was spent as intended or that no misappropriation occurred. He said the county anticipates that ongoing law enforcement efforts can "provide us those assurances."

The comments came in response to questions about a story in Sunday's Observer in which former county internal audit director Cornita Spears said she believes the county cannot account for how all of the Giving Tree money was spent because there was not enough reliable documentation.

Republican commissioners asked this week for a meeting to further discuss the DSS probes to get responses to unanswered questions and satisfy angry constituents.

Spears, whose resignation was announced Tuesday, told the Observer she stands by her statement.

Spears has previously said the county can account for Giving Tree expenses based on receipts and other documents, but she has maintained the poor condition of records means no one can be certain how all of the money was spent.

The county has faced criticism for much of this year after audits of spending across DSS found lax accounting practices within the department. Leaders have announced steps to remedy the problems, including retraining department staff in financial practices, putting DSS finances under control of the main finance department, and checking financial procedures in other county departments.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police were asked to help further investigate spending at the Giving Tree, and two commissioners said this week a grand jury also is looking at DSS.

At Tuesday's meeting, Jones read a list of what he called key facts of the DSS audit, and described efforts to share the information with commissioners, the media and general public.

"Given all the actions we have taken in the full public view, it is confusing to me and disappointing to read allegations or implications in our local newspaper, including comments by members of this board, that management has not done enough or that we have not been open in providing information in this matter," Jones said.

Commissioner Bill James said county administrators have not been fully transparent and failed to answer questions from commissioners.

James said he has requested an inventory list of items purchased with money from the Giving Tree, but administrators have not provided it.

"This woman spent (thousands) of dollars," he said, referring to a former county employee who volunteered with the charity. "What exactly did she spend it on?"

James said he has repeatedly asked how many years accounting lapses may have occurred in the program, but that officials have decided not to study that issue.

James and fellow Republican commissioners Neil Cooksey and Karen Bentley have proposed a Dec. 17 meeting to get more information about the audits. Cooksey has said his constituents want more answers.

Commissioners are set to vote Tuesday on whether to have that meeting. The board Republicans want to invite current and former DSS employees to speak, including those who worked with the Giving Tree.

On Sunday, the Observer detailed an internal memo written by a former county employee who headed the Giving Tree, who said she was advanced up to $198,000 since 2005 to buy gifts for the program with her supervisor's permission. Cindy Brady, who retired from the county in August, wrote she was never given a chance to talk at length about how the charity worked, despite requests to do so.

Spears said she wasn't allowed to interview Brady because of her employment status. Brady said she had been suspended, then went on medical leave before her retirement.

Spears said she first saw Brady's memo in November, and that it had information that led her to revise her June audit report of the Giving Tree. Jones suspended Spears last month after she admitted the earlier report did not account for about $33,000 that had been returned by a county employee.

Spears remained on suspension until she resigned. She said county officials offered her a position as a contract coordinator in Area Mental Health, the government agency that offers services to residents with mental illness, developmental disability and substance abuse issues. The job involves monitoring private contractors who perform duties for the county.

Spears, who worked in county government for 25 years, said she turned down the offer because it would have meant a 42 percent pay cut She made about $110,000 a year.

She worked as internal audit director for 19 years.

Asked whether she is upset at how her government career ended, she said, "The county manager made a business decision and I'll leave it at that."

Spears also said poor inventory records would prevent anyone from knowing whether needy children and families actually received donated gifts.

"I don't know that they will ever be able to say it's accounted for," she said.

As Jones addressed commissioners Tuesday, he also told them he is working to address ongoing needs in the community. He said he has been meeting with staff from Crisis Assistance Ministry, the Foundation for the Carolinas and county social service employee learn how extensive needs are.

"What we live to do on a daily basis is to help people in this community who are most in need," Jones said. "My focus ... is going to be on helping to meet those critical needs that confront this community."




Federal Grand jury investigating Charlotte-Mecklenburg County DSS



A grand jury is investigating the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, which has faced scrutiny over accounting practices and spending since early this year, two county commissioners said Monday.

Commissioner George Dunlap said the Federal Grand Jury has been looking into whether crimes were committed by employees.

Commissioner Bill James said board members were told last month that a federal grand jury is investigating. He refused further comment on the topic, saying commissioners were instructed by a county attorney not to discuss specifics.

The county ordered an audit of the Giving Tree after a DSS employee raised questions about spending at the Christmas charity for needy children. The county discovered checks written out to a county employee who volunteered with the program, as well as money issued to the sister of another employee.

County spokesman Danny Diehl said officials cannot confirm whether a federal grand jury is involved, but said the county "is cooperating with law enforcement to complete the investigation."

The county has asked Charlotte-Mecklenburg police to investigate. A police spokesperson on Monday said their work is ongoing.

Other commissioners reached Monday would not comment on work by authorities. "I want the investigation to have the best possible outcome, said board Chair Jennifer Roberts. "So I am unable to discuss it in the interest of not impeding the work of law enforcement."

In the meantime, James and fellow Republican commissioners Karen Bentley and Neil Cooksey want the county board to meet next week to learn more about ongoing probes.

"There are facts we don't have," James said. "I am just concerned there is stuff even senior management doesn't know."

Diehl said the county will respond to any questions the board has about the DSS audits. "The board has received reports and been briefed on all aspects of the DSS audits that are available to the county manager and staff."

The developments follow Observer stories on Sunday detailing a 74-page memo from a former county employee who headed the Giving Tree. Cindy Brady, who retired from the county in August, wrote she was never given a chance to talk at length about how the charity worked, despite requests to do so.

Brady said the county advanced her as much as $198,000 since 2005 with the approval of her supervisors. Brady said she spent the money on gifts for needy children, but says she did not collect all of her receipts, and some were handwritten or lost.

County leaders say they can account for how about $162,000 was spent by the Giving Tree last year.

But audit reports acknowledge numerous problems with receipts and other documents to track expenses and cited inadequate oversight and controls of the program by management.

The county has announced a number of changes in response to the charity audit and reviews of other DSS spending, including putting department finances under control of the county finance office and re-training DSS employees in financial practices and procedures.

The agency employs about 1,200, with a current annual budget of $176 million.

Brady's memo, dated July 29 and sent to a human resources manager, criticized county investigators for not interviewing her during the audit investigation. The county's former Internal Audit Director Cornita Spears said she first read the memo last month, and it led her to revise her earlier report to include about $33,000 Brady said she returned to the county earlier this year.

County Manager Harry Jones suspended Spears last month over the error.

Why James wants meeting

James cited the Observer story in explaining his reasons for calling the new discussions on DSS. He said he wants to give disgruntled employees a venue to air grievances. For months, James said, commissioners have been deluged with anonymous complaint letters from people who only identify themselves as current and former agency workers.

Some apparently won't divulge their names because they fear retaliation from superiors, James said.

The proposal requests that the board discuss the DSS issues on Dec. 17, with portions of the meeting to be held behind closed doors. It asks that DSS Director Mary Wilson appear to the meeting, and that other department employees be made available.

It also requests that former Giving Tree employees be invited to talk, including former county general manager Janice Allen Jackson, who briefly led DSS on an interim basis until Wilson was hired last year.

Neither Jackson nor Brady could be reached for comment Monday.

The proposal also wants Jones to provide in open session a detailed list of gifts bought with Giving Tree money and information on all items from the charity now in county inventory.

It also asks for copies of all internal memos produced by internal audit and county management involving the Giving Tree.

The county publicly released a three-page report in June and a follow-up report last month. The Observer has requested a longer report by Spears multiple times since July, but the county has said personnel laws bar them from releasing the document.

In order to hold the Dec. 17 meeting, at least five commissioners would have to agree. At least two of the six Democrats would have to sign on.

Roberts, Dunlap and Vilma Leake said they want to hear more about what the commissioners are trying to accomplish in holding the meeting before they can decide whether to support it. However, Roberts questioned whether meeting in closed session was the best approach, and said she is "distressed" that the board Republicans did not talk to her before putting the item on next week's agenda.

Dumont Clarke said he's inclined "to be as transparent and public as possible about this issue and do as little as possible behind closed doors."

Commissioners Harold Cogdell and Dan Murrey did not respond to requests for comments.

Cooksey said his constituents are demanding the board take a "more active role in getting to the bottom of this."

Cooksey disagreed with commissioners who have said they county is spending too much time on the issue and should not look into anonymous complaints.

"When you have issues swirling around, you can't ignore it," Cooksey said. "We have an obligation to see if these allegations have any truth to them or not."






Jennifer Roberts, Part of the Problem


I think I’m done cutting Roberts any slack on this DSS mess. For her to obstruct and slam the attempts of other commissioners to find out what is going on with county’s massive, $200m. DSS operation is too much. And for Roberts to suggest that a closed session airing of DSS’s dirty laundry is not her preferred way to go is an insult to the intelligence of all Mecklenburg County taxpayers.

The only reason Commissioner Bill James and the other GOPers are suggesting the closed session route is in response the “disclosure” stonewall County Manager Harry Jones has erected around the investigation — a construction effort aided and abetted by Jennifer Roberts. Fine. Let’s hear DSS chief Mary Wilson answer questions in open session. Super. Next.

It will also be interesting to see if Commissioner George Dunlap’s confirmation that a federal grand jury probe is underway of DSS shakes anything new loose. Why it took a full month for the probe’s existence to be reported remains a mystery, but at least everyone in town has caught up to the story.

However, it would be wrong to assume that the probe will result in any indictments, both as a matter of fairness and institutional inertia. Prosecutors are political animals and will require some slam-dunk, smoking gun type evidence of wrongdoing for them to move on a DSS devoid, until very recently, of adult supervision of its funds.

On the third hand, not all gross mismanagement rises to the level of criminality. This is why the county commission must itself reestablish public trust in one of its largest ongoing budget expenses. Jennifer Roberts needs to help that process or get out of the way.



View Larger Map


Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, The Meck Deck Blog, John Locke Foundation, Google Maps

Anthony Foxx Questions Bonuses He Voted For... Smoke Screen For His Tricky Agenda

The effects of Public Corruption








Anthony Foxx: Bonuses need discussion



Charlotte Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx says the new City Council should discuss whether it should award bonuses next year to the city manager and city attorney, though Foxx declined to say his position on the issue.

In the last month, council members have voted to give Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton and Charlotte City Attorney Mac McCarley bonuses for work done in the past year, decisions made after Walton cut merit-based bonuses and raises for city employees due to the recession.Walton's decision affected bonus payments and raises for the current fiscal year, which started July 1.

Some council members have said Walton and McCarley are exempt from that decision because the bonuses they received were for work done in fiscal year 2008-09, which ended June 30. Their formal evaluations - which took place in the last month - were done several months late.

But a number of council members are undecided on whether Walton and McCarley should receive bonuses next year, or share the financial pain felt by other employees.

"I don't know yet," said Republican council member Warren Cooksey, who voted to give bonuses to Walton and McCarley. He said the council should decide quickly whether it will award bonuses next year.

Both Walton and McCarley did good work for the city, council members said.

Walton will receive a base salary of $200,312 in the current year, plus the $16,000 bonus for last fiscal year. McCarley will receive a salary of $175,781 for the current year and a $15,000 bonus for last fiscal year. Their total pay - salary and bonus - for 2008-09 was the same as it was for the previous fiscal year..

Foxx, a Democrat and currently a council member, will be sworn in as mayor Dec. 7. Democrat Patrick Cannon will also become a council member that day, replacing Republican John Lassiter.

Walton and McCarley have said it's too early to speculate on whether they would accept a bonus for 2009-2010.

The city's Human Resources director, Tim Mayes, for the fiscal year ending June 30 received a $14,955 bonus in addition to his salary of $149,555. He won't be receiving a raise or a bonus this year .

He said in an e-mail last week to the Observer that council members and the city manager and city attorney have had an informal agreement that the bonus payments are a "standard part" of their compensation package. Cutting the payments would be "inappropriate," he said.

Republican Mayor Pat McCrory and Democrat Michael Barnes voted against both packages. Democrats Foxx, James Mitchell and Warren Turner voted against McCarley's package Monday.

Turner was absent for the vote on Walton's compensation.

Foxx said he voted against McCarley's compensation package not because he objected in principle to awarding the bonus. He said instead he didn't feel McCarley had done as good of a job as Walton.

"It's my expectation that we will have some early dialogue with our management about bonuses," Foxx said. "I understand the perception issues and realities of the revenue issues."

Republican Edwin Peacock said he doesn't like that the council has made it appear as though the city manager and city attorney will almost automatically receive a bonus. Any bonus should be more discretionary, he said.

Peacock said he voted for the bonuses because "you can't give a guy high marks and take it away. What signal does that send?" When asked about other employees who likely received high marks but won't receive a bonus, Peacock said that was a difficult situation.

Cannon said the new council should talk soon about its pay plans for the city manager and city attorney for 2009-2010. He said the city "should be conscious that people are treated equally across the board."

Last year, about 2 percent of the city's 6,700 employees received one-time payments in addition to their salaries.

After debate, Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones received a $38,400 bonus from county commissioners Nov. 4. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Supt. Peter Gorman turned down a pay raise this year due to the economy.








Charlotte City manager gets $16,000 bonus



Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton this summer cut pay raises and merit-based bonuses for city employees due to the recession.

On Monday night, the Charlotte City Council awarded Walton a $16,000 bonus, and the city manager accepted.

Council members said they were pleased with how Walton has navigated the city through the economic downturn. But Democrat Michael Barnes and Republican Mayor Pat McCrory voted against the pay package because of the bonus.

"I thought he did a very good job - I told him that," said Barnes. "But I didn't think it was right to pay out bonuses. My concern is that there are a lot of people struggling. It would be beneficial for us to show restraint."

McCrory, who is allowed to vote in personnel matters, said Walton did a good job.

"But I was opposed to the bonus because of the economic circumstances in the public and private sector," McCrory said.

Walton, whose evaluation was approved Monday for work in the previous 12 months, will see his total pay remain the same as a year ago. He will receive a salary of $200,312 and the $16,000 bonus, based on his 2008-09 performance.

But a number of city employees whose evaluations also came after July are seeing their pay decrease. The city awarded 314 bonuses, or merit payments, between July 2008 and May 2009 for a total of nearly $400,000. As the financial crisis deepened last year, the city froze positions and cut back on travel and other expenses. The city decided against stopping merit bonus payments in the middle of the fiscal year to avoid punishing employees who had later review dates.

Typically, most city employees can receive up to 8 percent of their salary as a merit-based raise, a bonus, or a combination of the two. When the new fiscal year began in July, Walton said he would recommend stopping the bonuses due to the downturn.

Human Resources Director Tim Mayes, for instance, was paid a salary of $149,555 for 2008-09 as well as a merit bonus of $14,955. For this fiscal year, Mayes will receive only his base salary.

He said Walton was given a bonus by council members because of an "understanding" that's been in place for five years.

"(Council members and the city manager) liken the one-time payment as the first cousin to base pay," Mayes said. "It's not contractually based, but there is a good faith understanding between them."

Mayes said in an e-mail that cutting the bonus would reduce the manager's pay, which would be "inappropriate."

Walton was out of town Tuesday and couldn't be reached for comment. A city spokesperson, Kim McMillan, said Walton declined to talk about his evaluation because state law allows those discussions to take place in private.

In a June Observer story, Walton said he wanted to cut all the city's bonuses temporarily except for a program that allows employees to share in savings when their department or division is a low bidder on a contract. The story didn't address whether Walton planned to not accept any bonus council members might approve.

City attorney Mac McCarley is also paid by the council and is eligible for a bonus.

Mayor-elect Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, voted for Walton's pay package.

"There was a lot of discussion about that issue," Foxx said. "The decision was that as part of the package that the city manager has, if certain targets are met, that's part of the compensation. It wasn't done without debate."

Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones accepted a $38,400 bonus earlier this month. His total compensation of $254,055 remains the same as last year.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman turned down his bonus this summer, and eliminated bonuses for principals and teachers. CMS said the reductions saved $1million.

Council member Patsy Kinsey, a Democrat who voted for Walton's bonus, said she believes Walton received it because it was based on his performance for fiscal year 2008-09 - making it unrelated, she believed, to one-time payments that have been "frozen" for the fiscal year 2009-2010.

That isn't correct, according to the timeline outlined by Mayes. All city employees whose evaluations fell after July 1 of this year are ineligible for pay increases except Walton and McCarley.






Harry Jones gets Bonus but total pay is same



Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones will receive a $38,400 performance bonus, but his total compensation remains the same as last year, under a deal unanimously approved Wednesday by county commissioners.

Commissioners praised Jones for, among other things, leading the county during a difficult economic time.

The "pay-at-risk" money - which commissioners have in previous years called a performance bonus - is part of an overall $302,854 compensation package. It also includes $215,655 in base salary.

The pay plan keeps Jones' compensation the same as in 2008-09, though a board committee determined he actually would have been due more money this year, said commissioner Dumont Clarke.

Jones, however, asked that his pay be kept level. "That was his request," said commissioners' Chairman Jennifer Roberts. He "wants to be treated like all the other county employees." The county didn't award any merit raises this year.

Jones' evaluation has been in the works for weeks, with talks largely being kept private initially as allowed by state law.

But some commissioners acknowledged last month that paying the money could raise questions in light of steep budget cuts across the county. Two other local public officials - Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman - declined merit raises or bonuses for themselves and staff to help save money.

Jones is eligible for a higher bonus than Gorman or Walton, up to 30 percent of his base salary.

Commissioners Chair Jennifer Roberts said the board had a "difficult conversation" about the pay plan because of the economic conditions.

Still, commissioners also have said they wanted to reward Jones for meeting goals previously outlined by the board.

Clarke said Jones told commissioners earlier Tuesday evening that 2008-09 was both his most challenging and best year as manager.

Roberts said Jones "has done a very, very good job, an excellent job as manager in a very difficult year." She cited Jones' work addressing budget cuts because of falling tax revenues and his work on the Critical Needs Task Force to help address social services needs in the community.

But the county also faced questions about inadequate accounting at the Department of Social Services, including an investigation into possible misused money in a charity program for foster children. The county announced steps to help shore up practices within DSS, including putting its finances under control of the main county finance department.

Mecklenburg has offered bonuses to the manager for years, but decided five years ago to restructure the pay system to reflect a CEO-style package of a base salary with another piece of pay tied to performance.

Under the plan, Jones is eligible for a bonus of up to 30 percent of his annual salary based on a series of criteria, including how well the county performs on annual goals and a management plan approved by commissioners. Based on his current salary, he could have received a bonus up to about $65,000 this year.

Jones has not received the full bonus since commissioners approved the new pay structure in 2004.

Clarke said Jones' performance in the past year earned him more money. He said he's being paid about 10 percent less than what his performance score called for.

Cuts in Mental Health

Also on Tuesday, commissioners approved about $2.76million worth of service cuts to the county's Area Mental Health department because of reduced money from the state. The state cuts were actually larger, but county staff has promised $3.7 million to help make up the gap.

Jones said he hasn't yet identified where the money would come from.






Fire Harry Jones, Tomorrow


Over the years I’ve defended County Manager Harry Jones in public and private as a competent manager who seems to have the right goals and standards in place for Mecklenburg County. But his handling of the DSS mess is a firing offense, specifically his move to quiet a critic of DSS by calling the man’s employer to silence him.

Jones has not said why he contacted Bank of America after a local BAC employee complained that he felt “duped” by giving money to DSS’ charitable efforts for kids. That is no doubt because the tone of the email exchange is unmistakable — and chilling.

“There seems to be a need for a wholesale cleanup of many county agencies, and I think that starts from the top down,” BofA employee Harry Lomax wrote to county officials. A week later, Jones sent the email on to a BofA VP with an ominous “Do you know Harry Lomax” addition.

The response was immediate from BofA government liaison Betty Turner. Lomax’s email was deemed “embarassing” and Jones was assured that BofA execs were on to Lomax: “I am tracking it down. I don’t know him – I have alerted charles. Will be back to you.” Question: Who the hell is “charles?” The Uptown paper of record account leaves this out.

Anyone with even a glancing understanding of Charlotte’s history is probably flashing back to the time when uppity mill hands who questioned local leaders were met with, “What’s your name again? I know your pastor.” The threat was clear — shut up and know your place.

Harry Jones clearly has no problem pulling the same power levers as boss men of years past. And no doubt Jones has done this sort of thing before to be so comfortable as to put such a smoking gun in email form, and on such a high profile matter as DSS’s continued money and management woes. For that reason, the “isolated incident” defense we are sure to get this week does not wash.

Harry Jones has proven he does not have the temperament required of highly compensated public employees, particularly at a time when revenues are tight and citizens are concerned about spending. Criticism from engaged citizens — Harry Lomax was concerned that a county Christmas charity was misusing funds — must be welcomed and encouraged, not kick off corporate retaliation efforts among the lock-step Uptown crowd.

A unanimous vote by the Mecklenburg County commission to remove Jones from his position is the only thing which can restore confidence in the notion that local government works for local citizens rather than actively conspires against them.

Update: Betty Turner is a registered lobbyist for BAC in both North Carolina and Virginia.





Harry Jones: No Thought of Resigning


Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones has faced intense criticism from some residents on a variety of issues this year, including reported accounting problems in the Department of Social Services and a $38,400 performance bonus given to him earlier this month. Some have even called for his job.

Jones addressed the issues in an interview Thursday on "Charlotte's Morning News with Al Gardner & Stacey Simms" on WBT-AM.

Here are some snippets from the interview:

Q. Have you thought about resigning?

Jones: "No, I have not given any thought to that Al. This has been a good year. You know along the way you are going to make some mistakes. I did make a mistake in forwarding an email. Harry Lomax and I have subsequently talked and I'm taking his position that it was blown way out of proportion. He and I have had lunch together with each other. No, I have not given any thought to it. But I will say, Al, it's been a tough year. It's been a really tough year. But I think it's also been my best year and I told the board of county commissioners that and I'm going to continue to stay where I am unless they decide they don't want me any longer."

Q. As Al was mentioning, though, other county employees didn't get bonuses at all. And it seems to me that with the email as you said you’ve apologized, you've had lunch with the gentleman, but (it was) big blow to public trust there, and with the DSS situation being what it is, why not say, well, I'll accept the bonus if such and so bears out, an ethics investigation, something like that? Because I think a lot of people would question whether this was the best year for county government.

Jones: "I’m going to say this: I earned that bonus. I think the other issues "My board of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioners" factored all of those things in when they considered my compensation. And the position that I will take is that, yes, the email does raise some questions about people's confidence in government. But Al and Stacey, I will say to you that there was no malicious intent, as I have indicated publicly, on my forwarding that particular email. And in that there was no malicious intent, for those people who want to call for my scalp on that one particular action, (they) don’t know Harry Jones and don't know what Harry Jones has done through his career to try to open up government, to encourage more participation. If you want to judge me on this one action, then I would say you're judging me contrary to the real Harry Jones."





The Charlotte-Mecklenburg DSS Fraud mystery: Where did money go?


Internal e-mails reveal new allegations of misspending at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, raising more unanswered questions about what happened to money intended to help needy children.

Some of the more than 1,000 e-mails the Charlotte Observer obtained through a Public Records Request provide the most detailed account to date about the agency's accounting fiasco.

E-mails show:

Officials suspected an employee wrote $80,000 in checks to herself from donations.

An administrator questioned why other donations were used to buy $340 diamond earrings, leather coats and a $300 DVD player.

A top executive complained that a senior fiscal administrator frustrated co-workers with her "inability to explain the simplest concepts of revenue and expenses."

After nearly a year, officials have never said who was at fault for $162,000 that disappeared or whether anyone was disciplined.

No one has been charged in an ongoing police investigation and a county report says officials cannot be certain where the money went.

Meanwhile, donors are left to wonder whether their generosity ever helped buy Christmas gifts for those in need.

In one e-mail, a woman describes calling the county in 2007 to give $900 for single mothers at Christmas. The person who answered the phone told her to make a check payable to the worker's sister.

The donor said she grew suspicious and made the check out to the county, but the idea that it may still have been misused is "like a kick in the stomach."

In another e-mail, a founder of Second String Santa said he was concerned whether kids received the more than 50,000 toys his group had donated since 1989.

Will Miller said he believes some of the toys reached children, but he's not sure about the rest.

"Will we ever know? Probably not," he said.

Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioners said they have asked County Administrators for a full accounting of what went wrong at DSS but have yet to receive answers. County officials have never explained who was responsible, they said.

"To fix it, you have to admit all the stuff that is messed up," Commissioner Bill James said. "They don't want to do too much digging."

County administrators declined interview requests. Instead, a county spokesman released a prepared statement saying appropriate fiscal controls have been installed in response to an outside audit and an internal investigation.

"Our review of the e-mails we provided and your follow up questions did not reveal any new information that would suggest any change in the audit findings or in management's response to those findings," the statement said.

Some commissioners said they have been told that the employees involved have either left county government or been placed in new positions.

Unusual spending patterns

DSS spends $176 million annually and employs 1,200 workers to assist Mecklenburg's poor and neglected. The agency administers everything from food stamps to foster care and child protection services.

Last spring, DSS Director Mary Wilson ordered financial audits following reports of suspicious spending.

Auditors looked at multiple spending programs and financial practices in the agency. They found a $10,000 check made out to an employee, missing and altered receipts and money for kids spent on office supplies.

County leaders responded by suspending the programs, putting DSS finance under direct county control, training workers on accounting procedures and ordering a review of financial procedures in each county agency.

The Observer reviewed e-mails dating from December 2008 to July 2009 for seven current and former county administrators, including Wilson, County Manager Harry Jones, County Finance Director Dena Diorio and Internal Auditor Cornita Spears.

E-mails show county officials noticed unusual spending patterns as early as last December but did not disclose problems to the public until March.

On New Year's Eve, Wilson told staff she had suspended a voucher program the agency used to purchase clothes and other items for clients at local stores. She wrote that officials were worried about a lack of oversight and a spike in spending.

One monthly retail bill leapt from between $5,000 and $6,000 to more than $20,000 in October 2008, the e-mail says. Employees turned in receipts only 30 to 35 percent of the time, she wrote.

At one time or another, workers possessed or had access to numerous credit cards and gift cards, including some to Bath & Body Works, Bass Pro Shops, Macy's, the Cheesecake Factory and Outback Steakhouse.

Outside auditors verified for county administrators that DSS workers possessed county-issued credit cards, including 10 credit cards for Sam's Club, three for Harris Teeter and an online charge account with Amazon.com

In February, county officials asked internal auditors to look into questionable spending, including purchases of diamond earrings, leather coats and a DVD player.

An e-mail to one of the auditors from a human resources consultant said the purchases raise "many questions and concerns."

According to the county's statement, most gifts were typical children's items such as toys, clothes and books. More expensive items such as diamond earrings and leather coats were approved purchases for foster children who reached special milestones like high school graduation, the statement says.

"Receiving a gift of some significant value was viewed as an incentive for other children who were in foster care to set goals and accomplish them," the statement said.

Commissioner Harold Cogdell said he spent part of his early childhood in foster care and believes the gifts are a good idea.

"It makes sense to me to show the kids some love," Cogdell said.

A new Accountant

DSS has endured multiple management shakeups in recent years. The latest came when Wilson reorganized the agency after she was hired in July 2008.

She laid out the reasons to hire a new finance director in a February e-mail.

Wilson wrote that the senior fiscal administrator who managed DSS finances failed to provide reports about oversight, alienated staff and lacked the ability to conduct productive discussions with senior county executives. The e-mail does not name the senior fiscal administrator.

DSS later hired accountant Angela Hurlburt to oversee its finances.

James, the commissioner, said he has asked for the names and background information on Hurlburt's predecessors. He wants them to answer questions from the Board of Commissioners' Audit Review Committee, which investigated accounting lapses at DSS.

He said administrators have failed to respond to his requests and complained that officials "keep us in the dark."

Other Charlotte-Mecklenburg Commissioners disagreed.

Chairman Jennifer Roberts and Commissioner Dumont Clarke said county leaders have already put in place reforms that will protect taxpayer and donor money.

"The highest priority" is implementing new financial controls, Clarke said.

Shifting the Finances

Auditors from Cherry, Bekaert & Holland reviewed DSS and found that Mecklenburg officials responded appropriately. The county's Audit Review Committee came to the same conclusion.

But DSS Director Wilson bristled at one of the major reforms.

Leaders put DSS finance under the direct control of the county's main finance department after allegations of misspending surfaced.

In April, Wilson sent an e-mail to County General Manager Michelle Lancaster to complain. Calling the decision "premature" and "shortsighted," Wilson said there are emergencies when DSS workers must write checks immediately, including occasions when the agency takes children in custody who need clothes, toiletries and school supplies.

"I understand the urgency at the time, but there was a reason DSS had check writing capability and I think we threw the baby out with the bathwater instead of fixing the underlying issue, which is documentation and accountability," Wilson wrote.

Donors left with questions

Past supporters of the DSS Christmas charity include Young Lawyers, employees of Wachovia and Bank of America, and Project Joy, the holiday fund drive initiated by Observer columnist Tommy Tomlinson. The Christmas charity, known as the Giving Tree, is now run by the Salvation Army.

The donor who gave $900 e-mailed the county in July after learning about accounting failures from news accounts. She attached a picture of the check copy she made around Christmas in 2007.

She wrote that she did not remember the name of the woman she spoke with on the phone.

The donor said she and her family all pitched in to raise the money so she could assist women like her who had struggled as single mothers.

When she heard there were allegations of misspending in a DSS charity program, "It's like your stomach just drops."



View Larger Map


Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, WBT, The Meck Deck Blog, John Locke Foundation, Charmeck.org, Youtube, Amazon.com, Google Maps

Charlotte Politicians Afraid To Replace Harry Jones...They Made A Pact With The Devil

Since Charlotte-Mecklenburg Politicians are afraid to address what appears to be Extreme Corruption within Charlotte-Mecklenburg's DSS and regain Public Trust by replacing County Manager Harry Jones, Charlotte will probably be next in line for an FBI Public Corruption bust.

Anthony Foxx's recent Mayoral Win won't be able to stop any investigations from taking place because contrary to popular belief, Foxx just doesn't have it like that with Pres. Obama or the Feds.

I wonder if their (Charlotte's Politicians) Fraternities, Sororities or other Elite Connections will be able to save them.

Why not ask Jim Black or Thomas Wright?

That's what happens when you choose to make deals with the devil.

Please check out the videos and articles below to learn why the FBI more than likely currently has it eye on Charlotte, NC as we speak.









$33,000 Repaid to Charlotte-Mecklenburg DSS but overlooked


Charlotte-Mecklenburg County's investigation into alleged misspending at a Christmas charity for children took a surprising twist Tuesday: Officials said a county employee returned more than $33,000 months ago, but auditors didn't account for it.

The finding raised new questions about the months-long probe, including why it took so long for administrators to learn about the money and why so much had been advanced to a county employee. Auditors said the worker had spent some of it on personal items.

County Manager Harry Jones said he was "damned embarrassed" by the latest information.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Commissioners, stunned by the revelations, said scrutiny of the Department of Social Services has eroded public confidence. They ordered a study of how to improve ethics throughout county government.

"I can't help but be baffled," Commissioner Dan Murrey said. "What we have done is confuse the public more."

The county's internal auditor told commissioners it was not until the past week that officials realized the returned money helped explain some of the $162,000 spent on the Giving Tree program that had not been fully accounted for.

But the auditor stood by her earlier report that said officials can't be certain where the bulk of the money went.

"I'm disappointed that we did not catch this earlier," Jones told county commissioners.

The county frequently advanced money to employees to help buy gifts for needy children, with receipts expected to document how the money was spent.

It wasn't immediately clear how much the employee who returned money had been given in the past, but it included at least two $10,000 checks made out in December and January, according to an internal memo released to commissioners Tuesday.

The money returned by the employee in February and March helped cover those checks, the memo stated, as well as other unspent money or funds meant to account for "personal purchases that were inadvertently included amongst receipts."

The employee also returned earrings and a DVD player whose costs drew concerns from management, and reimbursed the cost for the items.

The county did not identify who returned the money, only saying it was a former employee who had worked with the Giving Tree program for about 10 years.

A police investigation into the Giving Tree program is ongoing.

Murrey said an accounting error has unnecessarily harmed public perceptions about county government.

Commissioner Karen Bentley and other commissioners said they had received numerous complaints from citizens about DSS in recent months. Bentley reassured residents that she would look into concerns and seek answers to questions about accountability.

Commissioners Bill James said Tuesday's news only raises more questions.

James suggested that the employee only returned the money to escape punishment. He alluded to widespread problems with missing and altered receipts and said the county should investigate whether wrongdoing occurred in previous years.

Worker raised questions

The Giving Tree probe started earlier this year after a DSS employee raised questions about "large dollar" checks that had been written to a worker who managed the program, the county has said.

Two workers connected to the Giving Tree effort were suspended with pay. One was reinstated this summer, while the other had been put on medical leave.

Cindy Brady, a former DSS supervisor who collected donations for the Giving Tree program retired in August. But county officials have never said whether she was one of the two suspended employees.

Reached Tuesday, Brady said she had been advised by an attorney not to comment about the DSS issue.

In June, county auditors said they'd collected about $138,978 in receipts related to the Giving Tree.

But the county said they couldn't provide complete assurance that the money was spent properly because more than 99 percent of the receipts had problems, including information that had been altered or whited out.

That left about $23,310 that officials said they could not account for.

On Tuesday, Internal Audit Director Cornita Spears told commissioners that she received "clarifications" about how much money the employee had returned to the county.

Spears said the county had previously recorded some money the unnamed employee had returned to reimburse money used for personal items.

However, Spears said she learned last week that more money had been returned, but determined it had not been properly recorded in the earlier Giving Tree review.

Spears said the new information didn't change the overall findings of the June report.

Jones said that while he believed the county had made an "unacceptable error," he said county management had called for the various DSS audits, recommended changes and had not hidden information about the probes.





The Charlotte-Mecklenburg DSS Fraud Mystery: Where did money go?



Internal e-mails reveal new allegations of misspending at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, raising more unanswered questions about what happened to money intended to help needy children.

Some of the more than 1,000 e-mails the Observer obtained through a public records request provide the most detailed account to date about the agency's accounting fiasco.

E-mails show:

Officials suspected an employee wrote $80,000 in checks to herself from donations.

An administrator questioned why other donations were used to buy $340 diamond earrings, leather coats and a $300 DVD player.

A top executive complained that a senior fiscal administrator frustrated co-workers with her "inability to explain the simplest concepts of revenue and expenses."

After nearly a year, officials have never said who was at fault for $162,000 that disappeared or whether anyone was disciplined.

No one has been charged in an ongoing police investigation and a county report says officials cannot be certain where the money went.

Meanwhile, donors are left to wonder whether their generosity ever helped buy Christmas gifts for those in need.

In one e-mail, a woman describes calling the county in 2007 to give $900 for single mothers at Christmas. The person who answered the phone told her to make a check payable to the worker's sister.

The donor said she grew suspicious and made the check out to the county, but the idea that it may still have been misused is "like a kick in the stomach."

In another e-mail, a founder of Second String Santa said he was concerned whether kids received the more than 50,000 toys his group had donated since 1989.

Will Miller said he believes some of the toys reached children, but he's not sure about the rest.

"Will we ever know? Probably not," he said.

Two commissioners said they have asked county administrators for a full accounting of what went wrong at DSS but have yet to receive answers. County officials have never explained who was responsible, they said.

"To fix it, you have to admit all the stuff that is messed up," Commissioner Bill James said. "They don't want to do too much digging."

County administrators declined interview requests. Instead, a county spokesman released a prepared statement saying appropriate fiscal controls have been installed in response to an outside audit and an internal investigation.

"Our review of the e-mails we provided and your follow up questions did not reveal any new information that would suggest any change in the audit findings or in management's response to those findings," the statement said.

Some commissioners said they have been told that the employees involved have either left county government or been placed in new positions.

Unusual spending patterns

DSS spends $176 million annually and employs 1,200 workers to assist Mecklenburg's poor and neglected. The agency administers everything from food stamps to foster care and child protection services.

Last spring, DSS Director Mary Wilson ordered financial audits following reports of suspicious spending.

Auditors looked at multiple spending programs and financial practices in the agency. They found a $10,000 check made out to an employee, missing and altered receipts and money for kids spent on office supplies.

County leaders responded by suspending the programs, putting DSS finance under direct county control, training workers on accounting procedures and ordering a review of financial procedures in each county agency.

The Observer reviewed e-mails dating from December 2008 to July 2009 for seven current and former county administrators, including Wilson, County Manager Harry Jones, County Finance Director Dena Diorio and Internal Auditor Cornita Spears.

E-mails show county officials noticed unusual spending patterns as early as last December but did not disclose problems to the public until March.

On New Year's Eve, Wilson told staff she had suspended a voucher program the agency used to purchase clothes and other items for clients at local stores. She wrote that officials were worried about a lack of oversight and a spike in spending.

One monthly retail bill leapt from between $5,000 and $6,000 to more than $20,000 in October 2008, the e-mail says. Employees turned in receipts only 30 to 35 percent of the time, she wrote.

At one time or another, workers possessed or had access to numerous credit cards and gift cards, including some to Bath & Body Works, Bass Pro Shops, Macy's, the Cheesecake Factory and Outback Steakhouse.

Outside auditors verified for county administrators that DSS workers possessed county-issued credit cards, including 10 credit cards for Sam's Club, three for Harris Teeter and an online charge account with amazon.com.

In February, county officials asked internal auditors to look into questionable spending, including purchases of diamond earrings, leather coats and a DVD player.

An e-mail to one of the auditors from a human resources consultant said the purchases raise "many questions and concerns."

According to the county's statement, most gifts were typical children's items such as toys, clothes and books. More expensive items such as diamond earrings and leather coats were approved purchases for foster children who reached special milestones like high school graduation, the statement says.

"Receiving a gift of some significant value was viewed as an incentive for other children who were in foster care to set goals and accomplish them," the statement said.

Commissioner Harold Cogdell said he spent part of his early childhood in foster care and believes the gifts are a good idea.

"It makes sense to me to show the kids some love," Cogdell said.

A new Accountant

DSS has endured multiple management shakeups in recent years. The latest came when Wilson reorganized the agency after she was hired in July 2008.

She laid out the reasons to hire a new finance director in a February e-mail.

Wilson wrote that the senior fiscal administrator who managed DSS finances failed to provide reports about oversight, alienated staff and lacked the ability to conduct productive discussions with senior county executives. The e-mail does not name the senior fiscal administrator.

DSS later hired accountant Angela Hurlburt to oversee its finances.

James, the commissioner, said he has asked for the names and background information on Hurlburt's predecessors. He wants them to answer questions from the Board of Commissioners' Audit Review Committee, which investigated accounting lapses at DSS.

He said administrators have failed to respond to his requests and complained that officials "keep us in the dark."

Other commissioners disagreed.

Chairman Jennifer Roberts and Commissioner Dumont Clarke said county leaders have already put in place reforms that will protect taxpayer and donor money.

"The highest priority" is implementing new financial controls, Clarke said.

Shifting the Finances

Auditors from Cherry, Bekaert & Holland reviewed DSS and found that Mecklenburg officials responded appropriately. The county's Audit Review Committee came to the same conclusion.

But DSS Director Wilson bristled at one of the major reforms.

Leaders put DSS finance under the direct control of the county's main finance department after allegations of misspending surfaced.

In April, Wilson sent an e-mail to County General Manager Michelle Lancaster to complain. Calling the decision "premature" and "shortsighted," Wilson said there are emergencies when DSS workers must write checks immediately, including occasions when the agency takes children in custody who need clothes, toiletries and school supplies.

"I understand the urgency at the time, but there was a reason DSS had check writing capability and I think we threw the baby out with the bathwater instead of fixing the underlying issue, which is documentation and accountability," Wilson wrote.

Donors left with Questions

Past supporters of the DSS Christmas charity include Young Lawyers, employees of Wachovia and Bank of America, and Project Joy, the holiday fund drive initiated by Observer columnist Tommy Tomlinson. The Christmas charity, known as the Giving Tree, is now run by the Salvation Army.

The donor who gave $900 e-mailed the county in July after learning about accounting failures from news accounts. She attached a picture of the check copy she made around Christmas in 2007.

She wrote that she did not remember the name of the woman she spoke with on the phone.

The donor said she and her family all pitched in to raise the money so she could assist women like her who had struggled as single mothers.

When she heard there were allegations of misspending in a DSS charity program, "It's like your stomach just drops."





Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones apologizes for sending email to man's employer (Retaliation)


County Manager Harry Jones this afternoon apologized for forwarding an email sent by a resident critical about alleged misspending at the Department of Social Services to the man's employer.

Jones said he apologized to the resident, Harry Lomax, on the telephone earlier today and the two agreed to meet in the near future.

He said there have been several media reports about the email and “understandably heated public reaction to my response.” But Jones said there have been several misconceptions about the email, and apologized to Lomax for the confusion.

“I want to be very clear that there was never any malicious intent in my action,” Jones said at an afternoon meeting with county commissioners. “But it was wrong for me to send a copy of Mr. Lomax's email to his employer.”

The incident was the subject of an article in Sunday's Observer, and the emails were obtained from the county through an open records request about the reports of misspending and accounting lapses at DSS.

Some commissioners and ethics experts previously said the actions by Jones and the bank official were improper because they could stifle free speech and blur the lines between employment and citizenship.

On July 7, Lomax sent his e-mail to commissioners, Jones, DSS Director Mary Wilson and County Finance Director Dena Diorio. He wrote that he had planned to speak during a commissioners meeting the same day at the urging of Commissioner Neil Cooksey.

Lomax wrote that he left before speaking and decided to e-mail his comments.

The e-mail criticizes county management for failing to prevent accounting failures and accuses some commissioners of a "flippant, hands-off response" to the issue. "There seems to be a need for a wholesale cleanup of many county agencies, and I think that starts from the top down," Lomax wrote.

A week after receiving the e-mail, Jones forwarded the e-mail to Lomax's employer, Bank of America, and wrote, "Do you know Harry Lomax."

Betty Turner, a Bank of America vice president replied to Jones about one hour later, writing that she was "embarrassed" by Lomax's e-mail.

"I am tracking it down. I don't know him - I have alerted charles. Will be back to you," she wrote.

It's unclear how Jones knew Lomax worked at Bank of America. Lomax sent his message from a personal account and did not mention the bank by name.

Jones previously did not respond to interview requests from the Observer. A county spokesman referred a reporter to a statement the county released, but it does not directly address questions about Lomax's e-mail.

Nicole Nastacie, a spokeswoman for Bank of America, said "on their personal time, employees are free to express personal opinions" to government officials about any issue that is not related to the company.

Betty Turner, the bank's government liaison who responded to Jones, suspected that Lomax's e-mail involved issues related to the bank and appropriately looked into the situation, Nastacie said. When she determined Lomax was speaking as a private citizen, there were no further discussions, Nastacie said.

Lomax declined to comment.





The E-mail behind Harry Jones'Apology


Here is the e-mail exchange from County Manager Harry Jones to Bank of America's Betty Turner that came under scrutiny this week:

(We've put in bold the text section of each e-mail, obtained through an Observer open records request.)

_______________________________________________________________

From: Turner, Betty M [mailto:betty.m.turner@bankofamerica.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 10:20 AMTo: Jones, Harry L.

Subject: Re: Tonight's Meeting - DSS Comments

I am embarrassed by his comments, his tone and doing this. I am tracking it down. I don't know him - I have alerted charles. Will be back to you

From: Jones, Harry L. To: Turner, Betty M Sent: Tue Jul 14 09:11:19 2009

Subject: FW: Tonight's Meeting - DSS Comments

See the email below: Do you know Harry Lomax

Harry L. Jones, Sr.
County Manager
Mecklenburg County
704-336-2087 (o)
704-336-5887(f)

A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.
Greek proverb


From: Jones, Harry L. Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 8:56 PMTo: Diorio, Dena R.

Subject: Fw: Tonight's Meeting - DSS Comments

Fyi

From: Harry Lomax To: Roberts, Jennifer; Cogdell, Harold; Murrey, Daniel B; Bentley, Karen; Leake, Vilma; Cooksey, Neil; Dunlap, George; James, Bill; Wilson, Mary; Diorio, Dena R.; Jones, Harry L. Sent: Tue Jul 07 20:04:37 2009

Subject: Tonight's Meeting - DSS Comments

All-

I was looking forward to addressing the Commission in person tonight as part of the public forum section of the agenda. It was pretty frustrating to sit there for over an hour watching PSA after PSA on how great the DSS is from your

Mecklenburg Matters video. I finally had to leave to go to the store, feed dogs, get prepped for work, etc...you know...real world stuff. That said, I'd like to give send you my prepared comments and hope that I am not you take these to heart as if I were there tonight.

I'd like to express my displeasure with the recent activities involving the DSS. My comments may be premature pending the upcoming audit results, but I still think they are appropriate. Up until recently, I have been generally pleased with how the county government has performed - but for lack of a better term - I feel duped.

Duped that my company and I have donated time and money to this Giving Tree sham which the DSS has chosens to use as their personal petty cash fund.
Duped by the County Management, Finance Department and past/current DSS leadership's lack of controls (not to mention the cronyism involved with the recent hires within the DSS).

And duped by the flippant, hands-off response by some of the commissioners with regard to the audit and the County Manager's subsequent response.
Commissioner Cooksey encouraged me to speak tonight, and between him and Commissioner James, I feel llike they are the only one who are living in the real world here.

Any honest, non-government entity would have audit controls in place for a $176MM, 1200+ employee department. Regardless of the fact that the DSS Leadership and County Manager failed in their duty to implement these controls, the employees who broke the law should still be prosecuted. I hope the County Commission will support a thourough investigation by the DA and make the decision to prosecute if necessary.

What other organizations are being scrutinized a s a result of the DSS issues coming to light? There seems to be a need for a wholesale cleanup of many county agencies, and I think that starts from the top down.
Thanks for your time and I look forward to some answers not only going forward, but also some accountability/repercussions for those who are implicated in this scandal.

Regards-

Harry Lomax

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jones apologized today for forwarding the e-mail from Lomax, speaking as a citizen, to his employer.






Harry Jones gets Bonus but total pay is same


Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones will receive a $38,400 performance bonus, but his total compensation remains the same as last year, under a deal unanimously approved Wednesday by county commissioners.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioners praised Jones for, among other things, leading the county during a difficult economic time.

The "pay-at-risk" money - which commissioners have in previous years called a performance bonus - is part of an overall $302,854 compensation package. It also includes $215,655 in base salary.

The pay plan keeps Jones' compensation the same as in 2008-09, though a board committee determined he actually would have been due more money this year, said commissioner Dumont Clarke.

Jones, however, asked that his pay be kept level. "That was his request," said commissioners' Chairman Jennifer Roberts. He "wants to be treated like all the other county employees." The county didn't award any merit raises this year.

Jones' evaluation has been in the works for weeks, with talks largely being kept private initially as allowed by state law.

But some commissioners acknowledged last month that paying the money could raise questions in light of steep budget cuts across the county. Two other local public officials - Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman - declined merit raises or bonuses for themselves and staff to help save money.

Jones is eligible for a higher bonus than Gorman or Walton, up to 30 percent of his base salary.

Commissioners Chair Jennifer Roberts said the board had a "difficult conversation" about the pay plan because of the economic conditions.

Still, commissioners also have said they wanted to reward Jones for meeting goals previously outlined by the board.

Clarke said Jones told commissioners earlier Tuesday evening that 2008-09 was both his most challenging and best year as manager.

Roberts said Jones "has done a very, very good job, an excellent job as manager in a very difficult year." She cited Jones' work addressing budget cuts because of falling tax revenues and his work on the Critical Needs Task Force to help address social services needs in the community.

But the county also faced questions about inadequate accounting at the Department of Social Services, including an investigation into possible misused money in a charity program for Foster Children. The county announced steps to help shore up practices within DSS, including putting its finances under control of the main county finance department.

Mecklenburg has offered bonuses to the manager for years, but decided five years ago to restructure the pay system to reflect a CEO-style package of a base salary with another piece of pay tied to performance.

Under the plan, Jones is eligible for a bonus of up to 30 percent of his annual salary based on a series of criteria, including how well the county performs on annual goals and a management plan approved by commissioners. Based on his current salary, he could have received a bonus up to about $65,000 this year.

Jones has not received the full bonus since commissioners approved the new pay structure in 2004.

Clarke said Jones' performance in the past year earned him more money. He said he's being paid about 10 percent less than what his performance score called for.

Cuts in mental health

Also on Tuesday, commissioners approved about $2.76million worth of service cuts to the county's Area Mental Health department because of reduced money from the state. The state cuts were actually larger, but county staff has promised $3.7 million to help make up the gap.

Jones said he hasn't yet identified where the money would come from.



View Larger Map

Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, Carolina Politics Online, Wikipedia, Charmeck.org, Google Maps

Charlotte Leaders Give Harry Jones A Bonus, Cut Mental Health Care...Vote No Next Elections!

Charlotte Politicians especially the Democrats, think just because Anthony Foxx recently slid into Mayor McCrory's seat, everything will be smooth sailing from here on out.

Their arrogant behavior demonstrated by giving Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Harry Jones a $38,000 Bonus he does NOT deserve, proves Charlotte's Leaders actually think they rule the roost and that Voters are Stupid!

Notice how they didn't approve of Jones' bonus until AFTER Foxx won the Mayor's race. Sneaky bunch aren't they?

If Charlotte Politicians were bold and arrogant enough to pull this stunt, voters can be assured that when they get some more Stimulus Funds into their hands its going to be wasted on experiments and junk just like in the past.

Nothing valuable or helpful to Constituents. No, instead that money will be wasted fulfilling personal Political Favors and other junk, along with more Property Tax Increases for voters (low income and middle class citizens only) of course.

Well guess what people??

In case you've missed the latest news reports Democrats recently lost important races in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City!

NY-23 was just a mercy win, not anything to really brag about.

Perhaps Charlotte's Leaders aren't aware of this fact but Virginia is a key state for Political victory.

Voters who were fed up with status quo drama and broken campaign promises showed their displeasure at the polls on Super Tuesday 2009.

If Anthony Foxx does a poor job (I hope he doesn't) and if Pres. Obama doesn't get this country's High Unemployment Rate (10% and rising) situation under control, Democrats will NOT survive another sweeping victory like 2008 for a long time!

This includes North Carolina because Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) is looking pretty good to voters right about now. Including Democrat voters.

Only a few dumb diehards are still voting Straight Tickets or along strict Partisan party lines.

There are now more Dems voting for Republicans, more Republicans voting for Dems, more Black voters casting ballots for White Candidates and Independent Voters doing their own thing.

Do Charlotte's Leaders really think that Dirty Politics, the Charlotte Observer, Law degrees, Fraternity brothers or Sorority sisters will be able to save them during the next two elections if they continue this Tax and Spend, Public Corruption, Cronyism crap?

Do they also really think Partisan Politics is the answer to longevity in Public Office?

If Charlotte Politicians especially Dems, really believe those false ideologies I have some swamp land in Florida I want to sell them. Ha Ha!

So....

If Charlotte's Leaders especially Dems, keep up their same status quo stupidity, during the next two elections (2011 & 2012) NOT even Black Voters are going to support them.

You think that Voters, especially Black Voters are stupid??

Just ask former Greensboro Mayor Yvonne Johnson or Creigh Deeds.

While your at it also check out the Atlanta Mayor's Runoff election scheduled to take place this December between Caucasian candidate Mary Norwood and African-American candidate Kasim Reed.

People are tired of Status Quo Politics!

Charlotte Leaders you better wake up and stop being Arrogant or your days in Public Office will be short lived.

Here's a word to the wise: "He who laughs first, laughs last".




Atlanta's Mary Norwood will face Kasim Reed in a Runoff election December '09. If elected she will become Atlanta's first White Mayor since the 1970's.










Jones gets bonus but total pay is same


Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones will receive a $38,400 performance bonus, but his total compensation remains the same as last year, under a deal unanimously approved Wednesday by county commissioners.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioners praised Jones for, among other things, leading the county during a difficult economic time.

The "pay-at-risk" money - which commissioners have in previous years called a performance bonus - is part of an overall $302,854 compensation package. It also includes $215,655 in base salary.

The pay plan keeps Jones' compensation the same as in 2008-09, though a board committee determined he actually would have been due more money this year, said commissioner Dumont Clarke.

Jones, however, asked that his pay be kept level. "That was his request," said commissioners' Chairman Jennifer Roberts. He "wants to be treated like all the other county employees." The county didn't award any merit raises this year.

Jones' evaluation has been in the works for weeks, with talks largely being kept private initially as allowed by state law.

But some commissioners acknowledged last month that paying the money could raise questions in light of steep budget cuts across the county. Two other local public officials - Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Peter Gorman - declined merit raises or bonuses for themselves and staff to help save money.

Jones is eligible for a higher bonus than Gorman or Walton, up to 30 percent of his base salary.

Commissioners Chair Jennifer Roberts said the board had a "difficult conversation" about the pay plan because of the economic conditions.

Still, commissioners also have said they wanted to reward Jones for meeting goals previously outlined by the board.

Clarke said Jones told commissioners earlier Tuesday evening that 2008-09 was both his most challenging and best year as manager.

Roberts said Jones "has done a very, very good job, an excellent job as manager in a very difficult year." She cited Jones' work addressing budget cuts because of falling tax revenues and his work on the Critical Needs Task Force to help address social services needs in the community.

But the county also faced questions about inadequate accounting at the Department of Social Services, including an investigation into possible misused money in a charity program for Foster Children. The county announced steps to help shore up practices within DSS, including putting its finances under control of the main county finance department.

Mecklenburg has offered bonuses to the manager for years, but decided five years ago to restructure the pay system to reflect a CEO-style package of a base salary with another piece of pay tied to performance.

Under the plan, Jones is eligible for a bonus of up to 30 percent of his annual salary based on a series of criteria, including how well the county performs on annual goals and a management plan approved by commissioners. Based on his current salary, he could have received a bonus up to about $65,000 this year.

Jones has not received the full bonus since commissioners approved the new pay structure in 2004.

Clarke said Jones' performance in the past year earned him more money. He said he's being paid about 10 percent less than what his performance score called for.

Cuts in mental health

Also on Tuesday, commissioners approved about $2.76million worth of service cuts to the county's Area Mental Health department because of reduced money from the state. The state cuts were actually larger, but county staff has promised $3.7 million to help make up the gap.

Jones said he hasn't yet identified where the money would come from.




Bill Knight wins Greensboro Mayoral race


The City Council just got a lot more conservative — starting with the guy at the top.

First-time mayoral candidate Bill Knight ousted incumbent Yvonne Johnson in Tuesday’s City Council election.

The victory is the first by a challenger over an incumbent mayor since voters began electing the mayor at-large in 1973.

Knight ran on a platform of Fiscal Conservatism and cleaning up the city’s police department. He will lead a council that, in the course of one election, now has a supermajority of registered Republicans.

“The voters spoke to change,” Knight said.

About 18 percent of the city’s registered voters turned out for the election, which included the nine Greensboro City Council seats and one bond referendum.

Candidates, their campaign staffers and supporters were tense Tuesday night as the results from the city’s 106 voting precincts rolled in.

The race between the mayoral candidates was close. Johnson, who has served one term as mayor, congratulated Knight when it became clear he would win.

His margin was 935 votes out of the 34,347 cast in complete but unofficial results.

Johnson has caught criticism over the chaos that has been a mainstay of City Council the last two years. But she was still pitting her 16 years of experience on the City Council against Knight, 70, who has never held political office.

Knight was surrounded by giddy supporters and family Tuesday.

“I am struck by the significance of this,” he said after the hubbub died down. “Four months ago, no one knew me.”

Knight, a retired certified public accountant, has promised to cut tens of millions of dollars from the city budget — an appealing prospect for voters who are disappointed that Greensboro has the highest tax rate among large North Carolina cities.

“I want an efficient city government. Let’s remake what a municipal government is all about,” Knight said.

Knight also has been a supporter of former police chief David Wray, who resigned in 2006 after accusations that his department was improperly investigating its black officers.

Some in the crowd were celebrating a conservative victory for the city, although the City Council is a nonpartisan board.

Bill Burckley, a political consultant who worked for Knight’s campaign, attributed Knight’s win to a low turnout in the city’s predominantly black precincts in east Greensboro.

Karen Bragg, a District 1 voter and Johnson poll worker, said the mayor’s campaign had worked hard, but there may have been a feeling of complacency among supporters.

“If people don’t come out, this is what happens,” Bragg said. “No slight against Bill Knight. It’s just not what I expected.”

McArthur Davis, who worked on Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small’s campaign, said Johnson’s loss was backlash from some white voters who felt alienated by the city’s black leaders.

“With a low turnout in east Greensboro, that was enough,” Davis said. “Greensboro just took a huge step back to reject a person with 16 years’ experience.”

Councilman Robbie Perkins, a Republican who often voted with Johnson, said her loss was likely part of a national reaction to liberal victories.

Last year, Guilford County voters decisively elected Democrat Barack Obama over Republican John McCain, 142,101 to 97,718.

“There’s a political pendulum in this country,” Perkins said. “In the fall, it swung one way, so we’re seeing it swing back now. That first swing was a strong swing, and now that it’s swinging in the other direction, we’re going to see that reflected in our communities as well.”

Johnson said she is not certain what she will do now.

“I’m just happy I’ve had the opportunity to serve the city for two years,” she said.

The new City Council will be sworn in Dec. 1. Their terms will last two years.



View Larger Map


Sources: MSNBC, Richmond Times Dispatch, McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, Under The Dome, News Record, My Fox8, My Fox Atlanta, Youtube, Google Maps