Monday, June 30, 2008
To be continued ...
We are still going through the Cops for Kids files. This is a very serious matter, and I want to make sure that I am thorough and deliberate in my assessment of the situation before I report on it to you. Be expecting a post tomorrow.
Public records obtained
A quick update: I recently returned home from the Mooresville Police Department, where I was able to look though the Cops for Kids files. I anticipate posting a blog entry later this evening.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Cops for Kids: Still More Questions Than Answers
As information about Cops for Kids keeps turning up, I’ll do my best to keep everyone up-to-date.
A couple of readers have asked about whether Cops for Kids appears in any government lists of charitable organizations. It doesn’t look like it.
The list of 501(c)(3) charitable organizations registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has no record of Mooresville’s Cops for Kids. Organizations with the same or similar names are located in Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Florida, Indiana, and Massachusetts, according to the IRS. It appears Mooresville's Cops for Kids is not a 501(c)(3) charity under federal tax regulations.
Neither is Cops for Kids listed as a corporation or other business entity with the North Carolina Secretary of State. Also, Mooresville's Cops for Kids isn’t listed by the Secretary of State as possessing a charitable solicitation license, which it may be required to have if it directly solicits contributions.
So it appears that Cops for Kids, despite what the Mooresville Police Department’s website represents, is not incorporated and, as a result, has never received its tax exemption under federal law. Does this mean it has filed and paid its taxes? If it has, where are the returns? If it has not, why not and wouldn’t that mean it owes taxes? And why does the Cops for Kids website represent that the organization was incorporated? The questions keep piling up.
Additionally, Mooresville's Cops for Kids is not listed as a charity by GuideStar, an online charitable watchdog that keeps tabs on 1.7 million charities. GuideStar does have records of organizations with the same or similar names in Michigan, Florida, Indiana, Wisconsin, California, Kentucky, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Texas — basically the same organizations on record with the IRS. Neither is Mooresville's Cops for Kids listed by the Better Business Bureau’s national registry of charitable organizations.
Another reader of the Report also pointed our attention to a website, www.copsforkidsinc.com, and suggested it could answer many of the questions included in Friday’s post. Many of the Report’s questions could be answered by that website — if that website had anything to do with the Cops for Kids organization operating out of the Mooresville Police Department by Chief John Crone. It doesn’t.
Rather, the website appears to be operated by a California organization named Cops for Kids. That’s not to say the website isn’t valuable. What’s most interesting about the website is the contrast it provides to the website for Mooresville’s organization. The California site includes, among other information, the names of the organization’s officers and board of directors; sponsors; annual events; information about how to refer someone in need to the organization; and an application for those who are themselves seeking assistance from the organization. Our website, www.ci.mooresville.nc.us/police/copsforkids.html, includes no such information. Also, the California organization is listed with the IRS as a charitable organization and registered as a business entity with the state. Additionally, annual financial reports filed by the organization with the IRS are accessible (after registration) at www.guidestar.com. Our version of Cops for Kids is listed with neither the feds nor the state and such reports are not publicly available, if they exist at all.
The only similarity between the California website and our website is one that, once again, raises questions. As included in Friday’s original post about Cops for Kids, the website for the Mooresville organization includes the following narrative that purports to tell the story of its founding and purpose:
"Since 1995, Cops for Kids, Inc. has assisted children, seniors, and families that find themselves in unfortunate situations. Through generous donations from local business sponsors and individuals in our community, Cops for Kids has enabled children and seniors to enjoy some of the basic necessities that were not available to them through other agencies.
"Whether it be transportation costs to school or work, a temporary place to stay for an entire homeless family, youth activity funding, clothing, or some assistance for educational costs, Cops for Kids is ready to help.
"Cops for Kids was created to help children at Christmas time. Giving a few disadvantaged children Christmas presents while on routine neighborhood patrols during the holidays has grown into a local organization that now offers those in need a host of services during the holiday season and throughout the year.
"With low overhead and virtually no red tape, Cops for Kids can respond immediately to children, seniors, and families in need. We are often the local organization called to help because of our ability to quickly and respectfully assist others with emergency funding from utility payments to temporary housing."
Here's a current snapshot of Mooresville's Cops for Kids webpage (click to enlarge):
Sounds good — just the kind of story that would induce people to give money to Cops for Kids. Now, if you go to the California organization’s website and click on the “About Us” tab, here’s what you find:
"Since 1995, Cops for Kids, Inc. has assisted children, seniors, and families that find themselves in unfortunate situations. Through generous donations from local business sponsors and individuals in our community, Cops for Kids has enabled children and seniors to enjoy some of the basic necessities that were not available to them through other agencies.
"Whether it be transportation costs to school or work, a temporary place to stay for an entire homeless family, youth activity funding, clothing, or some assistance for educational costs, Cops for Kids is ready to help.
"Cops for Kids was created by two Sheriff’s department deputies who saw a need to help children at Christmas time. Giving a few disadvantaged children Christmas presents while on routine neighborhood patrols during the holidays has grown into a local organization that now offers those in need a host of services during the holiday season and throughout the year.
"With low overhead and virtually no red tape, Cops for Kids can respond immediately to children, seniors, and families in need. We are often the local organization called to help because of our ability to quickly and respectfully assist others with emergency funding."
Here's a snapshot of that webpage:
Sound familiar? It’s verbatim what our Cops for Kids website represents as its own history, right down to the year of creation and the circumstances giving rise to its founding. The only difference is a sentence on the California site about Cops for Kids being created by two Sheriff's department deputies. So it looks like the Cops for Kids operating out of the Mooresville Police Department by Chief John Crone lifted — word-for-word — the history of the California organization so as to give the organization legitimacy in the eyes of the community. So what’s the real story surrounding Mooresville’s Cops for Kids founding? If the only information on our website is lifted from another organization’s website, do we really know anything about our Cops for Kids? Does it even really exist? If not, what has happened to all the money given to it over the years? Again, more questions. (By the way, I have e-mailed the California organization, asking if it has anything to do with the organization operating here. I’ll let you know what I find out.)
Stay tuned. We’ll have access to the records in Crone’s office tomorrow. Hopefully, they will clear up many of our questions. Crone says I can be there at 3 p.m., but I have notified him and others – including Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith, the town board, Town Attorney Steve Gambill and the press – that I plan to be there at 9 a.m. The police department is a public facility, and as such, any member of the public can be there at any time.
A couple of readers have asked about whether Cops for Kids appears in any government lists of charitable organizations. It doesn’t look like it.
The list of 501(c)(3) charitable organizations registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has no record of Mooresville’s Cops for Kids. Organizations with the same or similar names are located in Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Florida, Indiana, and Massachusetts, according to the IRS. It appears Mooresville's Cops for Kids is not a 501(c)(3) charity under federal tax regulations.
Neither is Cops for Kids listed as a corporation or other business entity with the North Carolina Secretary of State. Also, Mooresville's Cops for Kids isn’t listed by the Secretary of State as possessing a charitable solicitation license, which it may be required to have if it directly solicits contributions.
So it appears that Cops for Kids, despite what the Mooresville Police Department’s website represents, is not incorporated and, as a result, has never received its tax exemption under federal law. Does this mean it has filed and paid its taxes? If it has, where are the returns? If it has not, why not and wouldn’t that mean it owes taxes? And why does the Cops for Kids website represent that the organization was incorporated? The questions keep piling up.
Additionally, Mooresville's Cops for Kids is not listed as a charity by GuideStar, an online charitable watchdog that keeps tabs on 1.7 million charities. GuideStar does have records of organizations with the same or similar names in Michigan, Florida, Indiana, Wisconsin, California, Kentucky, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Texas — basically the same organizations on record with the IRS. Neither is Mooresville's Cops for Kids listed by the Better Business Bureau’s national registry of charitable organizations.
Another reader of the Report also pointed our attention to a website, www.copsforkidsinc.com, and suggested it could answer many of the questions included in Friday’s post. Many of the Report’s questions could be answered by that website — if that website had anything to do with the Cops for Kids organization operating out of the Mooresville Police Department by Chief John Crone. It doesn’t.
Rather, the website appears to be operated by a California organization named Cops for Kids. That’s not to say the website isn’t valuable. What’s most interesting about the website is the contrast it provides to the website for Mooresville’s organization. The California site includes, among other information, the names of the organization’s officers and board of directors; sponsors; annual events; information about how to refer someone in need to the organization; and an application for those who are themselves seeking assistance from the organization. Our website, www.ci.mooresville.nc.us/police/copsforkids.html, includes no such information. Also, the California organization is listed with the IRS as a charitable organization and registered as a business entity with the state. Additionally, annual financial reports filed by the organization with the IRS are accessible (after registration) at www.guidestar.com. Our version of Cops for Kids is listed with neither the feds nor the state and such reports are not publicly available, if they exist at all.
The only similarity between the California website and our website is one that, once again, raises questions. As included in Friday’s original post about Cops for Kids, the website for the Mooresville organization includes the following narrative that purports to tell the story of its founding and purpose:
"Since 1995, Cops for Kids, Inc. has assisted children, seniors, and families that find themselves in unfortunate situations. Through generous donations from local business sponsors and individuals in our community, Cops for Kids has enabled children and seniors to enjoy some of the basic necessities that were not available to them through other agencies.
"Whether it be transportation costs to school or work, a temporary place to stay for an entire homeless family, youth activity funding, clothing, or some assistance for educational costs, Cops for Kids is ready to help.
"Cops for Kids was created to help children at Christmas time. Giving a few disadvantaged children Christmas presents while on routine neighborhood patrols during the holidays has grown into a local organization that now offers those in need a host of services during the holiday season and throughout the year.
"With low overhead and virtually no red tape, Cops for Kids can respond immediately to children, seniors, and families in need. We are often the local organization called to help because of our ability to quickly and respectfully assist others with emergency funding from utility payments to temporary housing."
Here's a current snapshot of Mooresville's Cops for Kids webpage (click to enlarge):
Sounds good — just the kind of story that would induce people to give money to Cops for Kids. Now, if you go to the California organization’s website and click on the “About Us” tab, here’s what you find:
"Since 1995, Cops for Kids, Inc. has assisted children, seniors, and families that find themselves in unfortunate situations. Through generous donations from local business sponsors and individuals in our community, Cops for Kids has enabled children and seniors to enjoy some of the basic necessities that were not available to them through other agencies.
"Whether it be transportation costs to school or work, a temporary place to stay for an entire homeless family, youth activity funding, clothing, or some assistance for educational costs, Cops for Kids is ready to help.
"Cops for Kids was created by two Sheriff’s department deputies who saw a need to help children at Christmas time. Giving a few disadvantaged children Christmas presents while on routine neighborhood patrols during the holidays has grown into a local organization that now offers those in need a host of services during the holiday season and throughout the year.
"With low overhead and virtually no red tape, Cops for Kids can respond immediately to children, seniors, and families in need. We are often the local organization called to help because of our ability to quickly and respectfully assist others with emergency funding."
Here's a snapshot of that webpage:
Sound familiar? It’s verbatim what our Cops for Kids website represents as its own history, right down to the year of creation and the circumstances giving rise to its founding. The only difference is a sentence on the California site about Cops for Kids being created by two Sheriff's department deputies. So it looks like the Cops for Kids operating out of the Mooresville Police Department by Chief John Crone lifted — word-for-word — the history of the California organization so as to give the organization legitimacy in the eyes of the community. So what’s the real story surrounding Mooresville’s Cops for Kids founding? If the only information on our website is lifted from another organization’s website, do we really know anything about our Cops for Kids? Does it even really exist? If not, what has happened to all the money given to it over the years? Again, more questions. (By the way, I have e-mailed the California organization, asking if it has anything to do with the organization operating here. I’ll let you know what I find out.)
Stay tuned. We’ll have access to the records in Crone’s office tomorrow. Hopefully, they will clear up many of our questions. Crone says I can be there at 3 p.m., but I have notified him and others – including Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith, the town board, Town Attorney Steve Gambill and the press – that I plan to be there at 9 a.m. The police department is a public facility, and as such, any member of the public can be there at any time.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Cops for Kids?
What exactly is Cops for Kids? Who does it help? And how?
With these questions in mind, I attempted this week to obtain public financial records related to Cops for Kids, an organization that is operated by the Mooresville Police Department and purportedly assists needy children, seniors and families in the Mooresville area.
On Thursday, the Report visited Town Hall to look through copies of the Cops for Kids public financial records. The town’s finance director, Maia Setzer, said that the records are not kept in the finance department, but in the police department.
At the police department, Maj. Carl Robbins said that the public records are, in fact, held there but that Police Chief John Crone is on vacation this week and that the public records could not be viewed by the public because they are kept under lock-and-key in the chief’s office.
Further, Robbins said, no one but Crone has a key that could access the office and, therefore, the records. He suggested that we arrange a meeting with Crone next week to review the documents.
Earlier today, Commissioner Miles Atkins sent an e-mail to Town Attorney Steve Gambill, asking that the town resolve the situation today and “provide Ms. Gatton the information she is requesting.” Atkins continued: “I don’t have a problem if we need to call a locksmith.”
Shortly thereafter, Erskine Smith e-mailed the Report, stating that he and Gambill had contacted Crone, who is at the beach. Smith said that the Cops for Kids records – according to Crone – are in “several files” in the chief’s office and that we would have to wait until 3 p.m. on Monday to meet with Crone and review the files.
According to the police department’s website, Cops for Kids is an incorporated business that since 1995 has “assisted children, seniors, and families that find themselves in unfortunate situations.
“Through generous donations from local business sponsors and individuals in our community,” the website reads, “Cops for Kids has enabled children and seniors to enjoy some of the basic necessities that were not available to them through other agencies. Whether it be transportation costs to school or work, a temporary place to stay for an entire homeless family, youth activity funding, clothing, or some assistance for educational costs, Cops for Kids is ready to help,” according to the website.
“Cops for Kids was created to help children at Christmas time,” the website continues. “Giving a few disadvantaged children Christmas presents while on routine neighborhood patrols during the holidays has grown into a local organization that now offers those in need a host of services during the holiday season and throughout the year.
“With low overhead and virtually no red tape,” the website concludes, “Cops for Kids can respond immediately to children, seniors, and families in need. We are often the local organization called to help because of our ability to quickly and respectfully assist others with emergency funding from utility payments to temporary housing.”
The town board earlier this week, in approving the fiscal year 2009 budget, approved a $20,000 transfer from the Town of Mooresville’s general fund into the police department’s Cops for Kids budget. The Mooresville Police Department requested the $20,000, and Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith recommended its approval.
While I wait for access to the Cops for Kids records, I thought I’d share with you the questions on my mind about the organization. While I have a lot of questions, they are all straightforward and should be easy to answer. I expect that all of the questions will be answered by the public documents that I have been told I can review with the police chief on Monday at 3 p.m. – incidentally, six hours after the police department opens for business.
What I’d Like to Know About Cops for Kids . . .
1. When was Cops for Kids founded?
2. Who founded Cops for Kids?
3. Under what circumstances and for what reasons was Cops for Kids founded?
4. When was Cops for Kids incorporated?
5. Who files Cops for Kids’ annual corporate report with the North Carolina Secretary of State?
6. Who incorporated Cops for Kids?
7. Is Cops for Kids a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity?
8. When was Cops for Kids’ non-profit status secured?
9. Who files Cops for Kids’ annual report with the Internal Revenue Service?
10. Who are the officers of Cops for Kids?
11. Who serves on the board of directors of Cops for Kids?
12. How are the officers and directors of Cops for Kids selected?
13. How much money has Cops for Kids raised since its founding?
14. Since its founding, how much money has Cops for Kids taken in every fiscal year?
15. What were the sources of income for Cops for Kids for every fiscal year since its founding?
16. Since its founding, what was Cops for Kids’ total annual expenditures every fiscal year?
17. On what did Cops for Kids spend its money every fiscal year since its founding?
18. For every fiscal year since its founding, what percentage of the organization’s expenditures has been spent providing assistance to individuals or families in need?
19. Does Cops for Kids have any employees and, if so, who are they, what positions do they hold, and what are their salaries?
20. Who has performed the annual audit of the Cops for Kids’ finances?
21. Does Cops for Kids accept cash donations? If so, how are they recorded?
22. Who keeps the Cops for Kids’ financial records?
23. Why are Cops for Kids’ financial records not kept in the town’s finance office?
24. Where does Cops for Kids do its banking and what kinds of accounts does it have?
25. Who has access to and control over Cops for Kids’ bank accounts?
26. Who determines the amounts and purposes for which Cops for Kids money will be spent?
27. Since its founding, what businesses have contributed to Cops for Kids in each fiscal year?
28. Since its founding, what individuals have contributed to Cops for Kids each fiscal year?
29. What grants has Cops for Kids applied for since its founding?
30. What grants has Cops for Kids received since its founding?
31. What are the criteria used to determine if a needy family or individual is eligible to receive assistance from Cops for Kids?
32. Who determines the criteria?
33. How often are the criteria reviewed and by whom?
34. What kind of assistance does Cops for Kids typically provide to individuals and families in need?
35. Must someone be a resident of Mooresville to receive assistance from Cops for Kids?
36. Since its founding, how many needy individuals or families has Cops for Kids assisted?
37. Since its founding, how much money has Cops for Kids spent each fiscal year to help needy individuals and families?
38. Is there a limit to the amount of assistance Cops for Kids will provide to an individual or family?
39. How is the limit determined and by whom?
40. What relationship does Cops for Kids have with other similar charitable organizations, such as the Mooresville Christian Mission?
41. What relationship does Cops for Kids have with governmental agencies, such as the department of social services?
42. If an individual or family is in need, how can they request the assistance of Cops for Kids?
43. How does Cops for Kids publicize its services?
44. What annual events does Cops for Kids hold?
45. What is the purpose of the events?
46. Since its founding, how much money has Cops for Kids raised each year through the annual golf tournament?
47. Since its founding, how many individuals have entered the annual golf tournament each year?
48. What overhead costs does Cops for Kids have?
… And Documents I’d Like to See
1. Articles of incorporation
2. Bylaws
3. Application for tax exempt status
4. All annual budgets since the organization’s founding
5. All board minutes since the organization’s founding
6. All annual reports provided to the North Carolina Secretary of State
7. All annual reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service
8. Any and all other reports filed with any and all other government agencies
9. All annual audits
10. All bank statements generated since the organization’s founding
11. Receipts of all contributions received since the organization’s founding
12. Receipts of all expenditures made since the organization’s founding
13. Any and all application forms for prospective individuals or families requesting assistance.
14. Any and all applications for assistance from individuals or families
15. Any and all documents used to assess requests for assistance from individuals and families
16. Any and all policies, regulations, rules, or other guidelines developed since the organization’s founding and used to govern any aspect of Cops for Kids’ operation or functioning
17. Any and all grant applications
18. Any and all correspondence related to grant applications, including, but not limited to, rejection letters and reward letters
With these questions in mind, I attempted this week to obtain public financial records related to Cops for Kids, an organization that is operated by the Mooresville Police Department and purportedly assists needy children, seniors and families in the Mooresville area.
On Thursday, the Report visited Town Hall to look through copies of the Cops for Kids public financial records. The town’s finance director, Maia Setzer, said that the records are not kept in the finance department, but in the police department.
At the police department, Maj. Carl Robbins said that the public records are, in fact, held there but that Police Chief John Crone is on vacation this week and that the public records could not be viewed by the public because they are kept under lock-and-key in the chief’s office.
Further, Robbins said, no one but Crone has a key that could access the office and, therefore, the records. He suggested that we arrange a meeting with Crone next week to review the documents.
Earlier today, Commissioner Miles Atkins sent an e-mail to Town Attorney Steve Gambill, asking that the town resolve the situation today and “provide Ms. Gatton the information she is requesting.” Atkins continued: “I don’t have a problem if we need to call a locksmith.”
Shortly thereafter, Erskine Smith e-mailed the Report, stating that he and Gambill had contacted Crone, who is at the beach. Smith said that the Cops for Kids records – according to Crone – are in “several files” in the chief’s office and that we would have to wait until 3 p.m. on Monday to meet with Crone and review the files.
According to the police department’s website, Cops for Kids is an incorporated business that since 1995 has “assisted children, seniors, and families that find themselves in unfortunate situations.
“Through generous donations from local business sponsors and individuals in our community,” the website reads, “Cops for Kids has enabled children and seniors to enjoy some of the basic necessities that were not available to them through other agencies. Whether it be transportation costs to school or work, a temporary place to stay for an entire homeless family, youth activity funding, clothing, or some assistance for educational costs, Cops for Kids is ready to help,” according to the website.
“Cops for Kids was created to help children at Christmas time,” the website continues. “Giving a few disadvantaged children Christmas presents while on routine neighborhood patrols during the holidays has grown into a local organization that now offers those in need a host of services during the holiday season and throughout the year.
“With low overhead and virtually no red tape,” the website concludes, “Cops for Kids can respond immediately to children, seniors, and families in need. We are often the local organization called to help because of our ability to quickly and respectfully assist others with emergency funding from utility payments to temporary housing.”
The town board earlier this week, in approving the fiscal year 2009 budget, approved a $20,000 transfer from the Town of Mooresville’s general fund into the police department’s Cops for Kids budget. The Mooresville Police Department requested the $20,000, and Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith recommended its approval.
While I wait for access to the Cops for Kids records, I thought I’d share with you the questions on my mind about the organization. While I have a lot of questions, they are all straightforward and should be easy to answer. I expect that all of the questions will be answered by the public documents that I have been told I can review with the police chief on Monday at 3 p.m. – incidentally, six hours after the police department opens for business.
What I’d Like to Know About Cops for Kids . . .
1. When was Cops for Kids founded?
2. Who founded Cops for Kids?
3. Under what circumstances and for what reasons was Cops for Kids founded?
4. When was Cops for Kids incorporated?
5. Who files Cops for Kids’ annual corporate report with the North Carolina Secretary of State?
6. Who incorporated Cops for Kids?
7. Is Cops for Kids a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity?
8. When was Cops for Kids’ non-profit status secured?
9. Who files Cops for Kids’ annual report with the Internal Revenue Service?
10. Who are the officers of Cops for Kids?
11. Who serves on the board of directors of Cops for Kids?
12. How are the officers and directors of Cops for Kids selected?
13. How much money has Cops for Kids raised since its founding?
14. Since its founding, how much money has Cops for Kids taken in every fiscal year?
15. What were the sources of income for Cops for Kids for every fiscal year since its founding?
16. Since its founding, what was Cops for Kids’ total annual expenditures every fiscal year?
17. On what did Cops for Kids spend its money every fiscal year since its founding?
18. For every fiscal year since its founding, what percentage of the organization’s expenditures has been spent providing assistance to individuals or families in need?
19. Does Cops for Kids have any employees and, if so, who are they, what positions do they hold, and what are their salaries?
20. Who has performed the annual audit of the Cops for Kids’ finances?
21. Does Cops for Kids accept cash donations? If so, how are they recorded?
22. Who keeps the Cops for Kids’ financial records?
23. Why are Cops for Kids’ financial records not kept in the town’s finance office?
24. Where does Cops for Kids do its banking and what kinds of accounts does it have?
25. Who has access to and control over Cops for Kids’ bank accounts?
26. Who determines the amounts and purposes for which Cops for Kids money will be spent?
27. Since its founding, what businesses have contributed to Cops for Kids in each fiscal year?
28. Since its founding, what individuals have contributed to Cops for Kids each fiscal year?
29. What grants has Cops for Kids applied for since its founding?
30. What grants has Cops for Kids received since its founding?
31. What are the criteria used to determine if a needy family or individual is eligible to receive assistance from Cops for Kids?
32. Who determines the criteria?
33. How often are the criteria reviewed and by whom?
34. What kind of assistance does Cops for Kids typically provide to individuals and families in need?
35. Must someone be a resident of Mooresville to receive assistance from Cops for Kids?
36. Since its founding, how many needy individuals or families has Cops for Kids assisted?
37. Since its founding, how much money has Cops for Kids spent each fiscal year to help needy individuals and families?
38. Is there a limit to the amount of assistance Cops for Kids will provide to an individual or family?
39. How is the limit determined and by whom?
40. What relationship does Cops for Kids have with other similar charitable organizations, such as the Mooresville Christian Mission?
41. What relationship does Cops for Kids have with governmental agencies, such as the department of social services?
42. If an individual or family is in need, how can they request the assistance of Cops for Kids?
43. How does Cops for Kids publicize its services?
44. What annual events does Cops for Kids hold?
45. What is the purpose of the events?
46. Since its founding, how much money has Cops for Kids raised each year through the annual golf tournament?
47. Since its founding, how many individuals have entered the annual golf tournament each year?
48. What overhead costs does Cops for Kids have?
… And Documents I’d Like to See
1. Articles of incorporation
2. Bylaws
3. Application for tax exempt status
4. All annual budgets since the organization’s founding
5. All board minutes since the organization’s founding
6. All annual reports provided to the North Carolina Secretary of State
7. All annual reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service
8. Any and all other reports filed with any and all other government agencies
9. All annual audits
10. All bank statements generated since the organization’s founding
11. Receipts of all contributions received since the organization’s founding
12. Receipts of all expenditures made since the organization’s founding
13. Any and all application forms for prospective individuals or families requesting assistance.
14. Any and all applications for assistance from individuals or families
15. Any and all documents used to assess requests for assistance from individuals and families
16. Any and all policies, regulations, rules, or other guidelines developed since the organization’s founding and used to govern any aspect of Cops for Kids’ operation or functioning
17. Any and all grant applications
18. Any and all correspondence related to grant applications, including, but not limited to, rejection letters and reward letters
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Town hires new engineer
From the Mooresville Tribune online:
By Megan Pillow
Mooresville Tribune
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Mooresville officials announced Thursday that the town has hired a new head for its engineering department.
Ryan Rase, who has more than 11 years of experience in both the public and private sector, has accepted the job of Engineering Manager and is slated to begin work on June 30.
Rase will take the place of Interim Engineering Director Tonia Wimberly, whose last day is Friday. Wimberly, who has been senior engineer with the department since August 2004 and interim head since Feb. 2006, resigned on June 3 in the wake of the town’s decision to offer the department head position to another candidate, whom the town has now revealed to be Rase.
By Megan Pillow
Mooresville Tribune
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Mooresville officials announced Thursday that the town has hired a new head for its engineering department.
Ryan Rase, who has more than 11 years of experience in both the public and private sector, has accepted the job of Engineering Manager and is slated to begin work on June 30.
Rase will take the place of Interim Engineering Director Tonia Wimberly, whose last day is Friday. Wimberly, who has been senior engineer with the department since August 2004 and interim head since Feb. 2006, resigned on June 3 in the wake of the town’s decision to offer the department head position to another candidate, whom the town has now revealed to be Rase.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
United Way president's salary nearly matches total contributions from Mooresville-Lake Norman area
Before you fill out your next pledge card for the United Way of Central Carolinas, you may be interested to know this:
Contributions from Mooresville and Lake Norman to the United Way of Central Carolinas’ 2007 campaign topped $1.4 million, according to a March 2008 United Way news release. That same year, the United Way of Central Carolinas paid its president, Gloria Pace King, more than $1.2 million in salary, expenses and employee benefits.
More specifically, the United Way of Central Carolinas – the parent organization of the Mooresville-Lake Norman United Way – gave King a $365,000 salary, a $35,000 expense allowance and contributed more than $822,000 into her employee benefit plan, according to the United Way's recently-released 2007 tax returns (http://www.uwcentralcarolinas.org/images/financials/990FY2007.pdf)
Citing King’s success as president, the United Way calls the salary justified. But the director of a charity watchdog group, the National Center for Responsive Philanthropy, calls the salary "excessive," according to a developing story on www.wcnc.com. For the complete story, click here: http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-062408-mw-unitedway.367dd22b.html)
Contributions from Mooresville and Lake Norman to the United Way of Central Carolinas’ 2007 campaign topped $1.4 million, according to a March 2008 United Way news release. That same year, the United Way of Central Carolinas paid its president, Gloria Pace King, more than $1.2 million in salary, expenses and employee benefits.
More specifically, the United Way of Central Carolinas – the parent organization of the Mooresville-Lake Norman United Way – gave King a $365,000 salary, a $35,000 expense allowance and contributed more than $822,000 into her employee benefit plan, according to the United Way's recently-released 2007 tax returns (http://www.uwcentralcarolinas.org/images/financials/990FY2007.pdf)
Citing King’s success as president, the United Way calls the salary justified. But the director of a charity watchdog group, the National Center for Responsive Philanthropy, calls the salary "excessive," according to a developing story on www.wcnc.com. For the complete story, click here: http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-062408-mw-unitedway.367dd22b.html)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Water pumps repaired and working
Here's the latest statement from the Town of Mooresville (click the document to read it):
New Report feature
As the blog grows, and more articles are posted, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for interested readers to keep up with new comments posted on older blog entries. Thanks to the suggestion of a reader, I've added (down and to the left) a list of all blog entries that have received new comments within the last week. I plan to update the list once a week.
If you have suggestions that will make the blog more reader-friendly, I wanna hear 'em. Please feel free to e-mail me at jgatton@windstream.net
If you have suggestions that will make the blog more reader-friendly, I wanna hear 'em. Please feel free to e-mail me at jgatton@windstream.net
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Mooresville water customers respond overwhelmingly to town's plea to conserve water
Mooresville water customers used almost 1 million gallons of water less yesterday than last Saturday, in response to the town's plea to conserve water after two of our three raw-water intake pumps malfunctioned.
Water demand was 3.694 million gallons yesterday, down from 4.522 million gallons last Saturday.
Town staff says the water treatment plant is in "good shape." Elevated storage tank levels are above the town's normal target levels -- 90 to 95 percent full -- and are higher now than this time last weekend.
The town currently has about 12 million gallons of treated water in storage and 4 million gallons of raw water in reserves that can be treated if necessary.
The only pump that is currently working -- which can draw 3.6 million gallons of raw water a day from Lake Norman into the town's water treatment plant -- continues to operate efficiently.
Town staff has said it anticipates having the pumps repaired and installed by late tomorrow (not later today, as I originally posted).
Water demand was 3.694 million gallons yesterday, down from 4.522 million gallons last Saturday.
Town staff says the water treatment plant is in "good shape." Elevated storage tank levels are above the town's normal target levels -- 90 to 95 percent full -- and are higher now than this time last weekend.
The town currently has about 12 million gallons of treated water in storage and 4 million gallons of raw water in reserves that can be treated if necessary.
The only pump that is currently working -- which can draw 3.6 million gallons of raw water a day from Lake Norman into the town's water treatment plant -- continues to operate efficiently.
Town staff has said it anticipates having the pumps repaired and installed by late tomorrow (not later today, as I originally posted).
Water crisis (almost) averted...
The Town of Mooresville plans to have its raw-water intake pumps repaired and installed by late tomorrow.
Two of the town’s three pumps that operate the raw-water intake in Lake Norman have not been working since Friday. According to a press release issued by Maia Setzer, the town's director of administration and finance, one pump had been under repair since last week, and the second was “impacted” earlier this week.
The only pump that has been working throughout the weekend is one that can draw about 3.6 million gallons of raw water into the town’s water treatment plant. On average, the town typically treats about 4.5 million gallons of water a day. Fortunately, the town had in storage about 13 million gallons of treated water and 4 million gallons of raw water that could be finished and pushed into the system at any time.
The town began drawing down the finished water on Friday “to limit the need to overwork the existing pump,” Setzer said “If our customers will stop all unnecessary water uses, the water supply should be sufficient until the pumps are repaired.”
In addition to issuing the press release, Commissioner Mitch Abraham recorded a message on the town’s CTY Connect system to inform Mooresville residents of the situation and ask them to conserve water. Residents received that automated call Friday afternoon. And we responded by reducing our water consumption yesterday to an estimated 4.1 million gallons of water, down from the average of 4.5 million gallons.
Meanwhile, some town staff members have apparently worked throughout the weekend, monitoring the pumps and treating the 4 million gallons of raw water that the town had in reserves.
Some questions remain unanswered. Shortly after the town’s press release was posted in the Report, commenters started asking questions:
- If one pump had been malfunctioning since last week, and the other had been impacted since earlier this week, why is the town just now pulling both pumps up to assess the damage and repair them?
- Didn’t the town spend “mega-millions” to connect to Hickory's water treatment system in case of emergencies like this?
- Was the town performing regular maintenance of the pumps?
- What about the new water plant and pump station that was supposed to be fully operational more than a year ago?
Those are questions that the town will need to answer.
Meanwhile, at least since Friday, it appears that the town has acted quickly to execute an emergency back-up plan, it promptly alerted residents of the potential crisis, and some town staff members have worked diligently to resolve the situation with minimal impact to the town’s water customers.
The town attributes its "success" to the responsiveness and back-up emergency plans of town staff, the town’s preparedness through the Hickory interconnect (though I’m not yet sure how that played a part), the ability of the town to immediately alert its citizens through CTY Connect and the town’s cooperation and communication with the county, state and local fire departments.
Town commissioners expect to receive an update on the situation at a town board meeting scheduled for tomorrow night.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Town Urges Residents to Stop Unnecessary Water Uses Immediately
In case you haven't heard or received an automated phone call from the town, here's a press release issued earlier today, urging town residents to immediately stop all unnecessary water uses due to malfunctions of two of the town's three pumps that operate the raw-water intake in Lake Norman.
Click on the document below for more details:
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
If the Town of Mooresville doesn't use MI-Connection, why should we?
The Town of Mooresville owns an $80 million cable system (MI-Connection) that provides cable and Internet service and relies on subscriber fees to pay for the system. But the town itself does not use MI-Connection as its primary Internet service provider. Instead, it pays approximately $950 a month to MI-Connection’s "competition," Windstream Communications, Inc., for “network connectivity.”
Why? Apparently because MI-Connection is not currently capable of providing network connectivity for the Town of Mooresville. And even if/when it can provide such a service, the town’s Information Technology (IT) manager says that Windstream is so affordable for the town that "it would not make a very good business decision to drop them."
Approximately $150 of the $950 that the Town of Mooresville pays Windstream is used to connect Town Hall and the Police Department, said Town Finance Director Maia Setzer. About $793, she said, is used "between Town Hall and the ‘world.’”
Meanwhile, the town does not pay MI-Connection for anything, Setzer said, adding: “We used to pay Adelphia/TWC (Time Warner Cable) for a redundant connection at the Police Department for Emergency Operations Center reasons. The connections we had in place under Adelphia/TWC at several locations are still there and active.”
On June 11, the Report sent the following e-mail to MI-Connection General Manager James “Junior” Miller and copied all the Mooresville commissioners:
Mr. Miller and/or Commissioners:
I need some help understanding something that likely has a very simple explanation – I just don’t know it yet.
I found out yesterday from the Town of Mooresville’s finance director that the town pays approximately $950 per month to Windstream for “network connectivity” and that the town does not pay MI-Connection for anything but that “connections (the town) had in place under Adelphia/Time Warner at several locations are still there and active.”
I’m confused. Is the town “double-covered”? And if so, at least looking at the numbers, it appears that Windstream is the primary network connection for the Town of Mooresville. With the town owning an $80 million “fiber optic infrastructure system,” why aren’t we using MI-Connection – and MI-Connection only – for network connectivity? Is MI-Connection currently able to facilitate that for the Town of Mooresville? Will MI-Connection eventually be used for the town’s exclusive network connection? And if so, when is that projected to occur? Is it included in the current $80 million, or would that come with the additional $12.5 million?
Thanks for any clarification you can provide.
Miller did not provide specific answers in his response to the Report on June 17, stating only: “I have discussed ‘network connectivity’ with Mooresville’s IT department as it relates to the upgrade of the MI-Connection system. We are looking into this situation more in depth as the upgrade is underway in the Mooresville area. Also, MI-Connection will have more fiber in place to assist in their connectivity and requirements at that time.”
Davidson Town Commissioner and MI-Connection Board Member Evan Webster, when asked to clarify Miller's response, did not respond.
Meanwhile, Mooresville’s IT manager, Jeff Brotherton, says that the $80 million MI-Connection cable system, which the town purchased six months ago, is used “at the police department for redundant connectivity for patrol cars to access local and state databases" but that the town cannot currently use MI-Connection for network connectivity because "MI-Connection does not offer dedicated connections between locations unless it is fiber.
“MI-Connection is in the process of building out their infrastructure which will allow us to use fiber between our locations in the future; this build-out is not scheduled to be complete until early 2009," Brotherton says.
It is unclear if the upgrades that would be necessary to fully accommodate the town's needs are included in the $80 million that the town has already paid for the system ... or if those upgrades would be completed only if the town approves the additional $12.5 million that MI-Connection is expected to request at the July town board meeting.
"I would hope that we will use MI-Connection as our primary provider in the future," says Brotherton, adding, however, that "our pricing with Windstream is so good it would not make a very good business decision to drop them.
"We have discussed keeping our Windstream connections in place for Disaster Recovery," Brotherton adds. "Redundancy is very common and we don’t consider it 'double-covered.'"
Mooresville's interim town manager, Erskine Smith, adds: "We have a plan to convert (from Windstream to MI-Connection) assuming the MI upgrades are made."
So, what's the bottom line? The Town of Mooresville owns an $80 million cable system that provides Internet service. But we pay almost $1,000 a month to our own "competition" because it can service our current needs. Our own company can't.
But someday, we "hope" to be able to use our own system for primary Internet service.
Why should Mooresville citizens subscribe to MI-Connection for Internet service when the very entity that owns the system can’t, or doesn’t, use it?
Some may argue that the upgrades simply haven’t made it to Town Hall yet. Others may use this situation as justification for the town to approve MI-Connection’s upcoming $12.5 million request to "complete upgrades."
I, on the other hand, would argue that the towns of Mooresville and Davidson sank $80 million into the system six months ago and should have been a priority for MI-Connection.
Am I suggesting that the Town of Mooresville should invest $950 a month of taxpayer money into MI-Connection? Absolutely not. I am suggesting that if the town is going to dish out $950 a month for “network connectivity,” it should be dishing it out to its own company -- and certainly not to its "competitor" -- if for no other reason than to demonstrate to the public that it believes in MI-Connection and its future.
Why? Apparently because MI-Connection is not currently capable of providing network connectivity for the Town of Mooresville. And even if/when it can provide such a service, the town’s Information Technology (IT) manager says that Windstream is so affordable for the town that "it would not make a very good business decision to drop them."
Approximately $150 of the $950 that the Town of Mooresville pays Windstream is used to connect Town Hall and the Police Department, said Town Finance Director Maia Setzer. About $793, she said, is used "between Town Hall and the ‘world.’”
Meanwhile, the town does not pay MI-Connection for anything, Setzer said, adding: “We used to pay Adelphia/TWC (Time Warner Cable) for a redundant connection at the Police Department for Emergency Operations Center reasons. The connections we had in place under Adelphia/TWC at several locations are still there and active.”
On June 11, the Report sent the following e-mail to MI-Connection General Manager James “Junior” Miller and copied all the Mooresville commissioners:
Mr. Miller and/or Commissioners:
I need some help understanding something that likely has a very simple explanation – I just don’t know it yet.
I found out yesterday from the Town of Mooresville’s finance director that the town pays approximately $950 per month to Windstream for “network connectivity” and that the town does not pay MI-Connection for anything but that “connections (the town) had in place under Adelphia/Time Warner at several locations are still there and active.”
I’m confused. Is the town “double-covered”? And if so, at least looking at the numbers, it appears that Windstream is the primary network connection for the Town of Mooresville. With the town owning an $80 million “fiber optic infrastructure system,” why aren’t we using MI-Connection – and MI-Connection only – for network connectivity? Is MI-Connection currently able to facilitate that for the Town of Mooresville? Will MI-Connection eventually be used for the town’s exclusive network connection? And if so, when is that projected to occur? Is it included in the current $80 million, or would that come with the additional $12.5 million?
Thanks for any clarification you can provide.
Miller did not provide specific answers in his response to the Report on June 17, stating only: “I have discussed ‘network connectivity’ with Mooresville’s IT department as it relates to the upgrade of the MI-Connection system. We are looking into this situation more in depth as the upgrade is underway in the Mooresville area. Also, MI-Connection will have more fiber in place to assist in their connectivity and requirements at that time.”
Davidson Town Commissioner and MI-Connection Board Member Evan Webster, when asked to clarify Miller's response, did not respond.
Meanwhile, Mooresville’s IT manager, Jeff Brotherton, says that the $80 million MI-Connection cable system, which the town purchased six months ago, is used “at the police department for redundant connectivity for patrol cars to access local and state databases" but that the town cannot currently use MI-Connection for network connectivity because "MI-Connection does not offer dedicated connections between locations unless it is fiber.
“MI-Connection is in the process of building out their infrastructure which will allow us to use fiber between our locations in the future; this build-out is not scheduled to be complete until early 2009," Brotherton says.
It is unclear if the upgrades that would be necessary to fully accommodate the town's needs are included in the $80 million that the town has already paid for the system ... or if those upgrades would be completed only if the town approves the additional $12.5 million that MI-Connection is expected to request at the July town board meeting.
"I would hope that we will use MI-Connection as our primary provider in the future," says Brotherton, adding, however, that "our pricing with Windstream is so good it would not make a very good business decision to drop them.
"We have discussed keeping our Windstream connections in place for Disaster Recovery," Brotherton adds. "Redundancy is very common and we don’t consider it 'double-covered.'"
Mooresville's interim town manager, Erskine Smith, adds: "We have a plan to convert (from Windstream to MI-Connection) assuming the MI upgrades are made."
So, what's the bottom line? The Town of Mooresville owns an $80 million cable system that provides Internet service. But we pay almost $1,000 a month to our own "competition" because it can service our current needs. Our own company can't.
But someday, we "hope" to be able to use our own system for primary Internet service.
Why should Mooresville citizens subscribe to MI-Connection for Internet service when the very entity that owns the system can’t, or doesn’t, use it?
Some may argue that the upgrades simply haven’t made it to Town Hall yet. Others may use this situation as justification for the town to approve MI-Connection’s upcoming $12.5 million request to "complete upgrades."
I, on the other hand, would argue that the towns of Mooresville and Davidson sank $80 million into the system six months ago and should have been a priority for MI-Connection.
Am I suggesting that the Town of Mooresville should invest $950 a month of taxpayer money into MI-Connection? Absolutely not. I am suggesting that if the town is going to dish out $950 a month for “network connectivity,” it should be dishing it out to its own company -- and certainly not to its "competitor" -- if for no other reason than to demonstrate to the public that it believes in MI-Connection and its future.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
It takes money to make money: The town's hiring of a lobbyist group
Sometimes it takes money to make money.
That’s the rationale behind the town board’s June 10 decision to renew a $72,000 contract with The Ferguson Group, LLC, a Washington, DC-based lobbyist group.
A couple folks have posted blog comments and sent e-mails, asking me to look into the town’s hiring of the lobbyist group. So I did. And here’s what I found:
The Ferguson Group works with the town’s “congressional delegation” in Washington DC and credits itself with securing a total of $1.89 million in “appropriations” for different town projects -- including $960,000 toward the water treatment plant -- and $4 million in “authorizations" for water and wastewater infrastructure.
The lobbyist group is charged with monitoring legislative issues of importance to Mooresville and informing the town of issues “on which Mooresville can advocate its position.” Additionally, the group monitors “competitive grants that may be of interest to the town” and says it stands prepared to “garner congressional support for any grant applications” that the town submits.
The Ferguson Group, founded in 1982, “lobbies Congress and the federal agencies on behalf of public and private interests across the country,” according the group’s website (http://www.fergusongroup.us/), and is "the largest federal representative of local governments in Washington, DC," representing “more irrigation districts, water districts, and local water agencies than any other Washington firm.”
Also according to the website, The Ferguson Group is bi-partisan, and its staff members “earned their reputation serving on the front lines as staff to key Members of Congress. Our expertise in the substance, process, and culture of Capitol Hill is the foundation of our consistently successful advocacy efforts,” the website adds.
The renewed contract with the Town of Mooresville stayed at the same cost ($72,000, or $6,000/month) as last year's contract. The town's renewing of the contract means that The Ferguson Group will continue advocating for federal funding for projects included in the town’s fiscal year 2009 “Federal Agenda.”
That’s the rationale behind the town board’s June 10 decision to renew a $72,000 contract with The Ferguson Group, LLC, a Washington, DC-based lobbyist group.
A couple folks have posted blog comments and sent e-mails, asking me to look into the town’s hiring of the lobbyist group. So I did. And here’s what I found:
The Ferguson Group works with the town’s “congressional delegation” in Washington DC and credits itself with securing a total of $1.89 million in “appropriations” for different town projects -- including $960,000 toward the water treatment plant -- and $4 million in “authorizations" for water and wastewater infrastructure.
The lobbyist group is charged with monitoring legislative issues of importance to Mooresville and informing the town of issues “on which Mooresville can advocate its position.” Additionally, the group monitors “competitive grants that may be of interest to the town” and says it stands prepared to “garner congressional support for any grant applications” that the town submits.
The Ferguson Group, founded in 1982, “lobbies Congress and the federal agencies on behalf of public and private interests across the country,” according the group’s website (http://www.fergusongroup.us/), and is "the largest federal representative of local governments in Washington, DC," representing “more irrigation districts, water districts, and local water agencies than any other Washington firm.”
Also according to the website, The Ferguson Group is bi-partisan, and its staff members “earned their reputation serving on the front lines as staff to key Members of Congress. Our expertise in the substance, process, and culture of Capitol Hill is the foundation of our consistently successful advocacy efforts,” the website adds.
The renewed contract with the Town of Mooresville stayed at the same cost ($72,000, or $6,000/month) as last year's contract. The town's renewing of the contract means that The Ferguson Group will continue advocating for federal funding for projects included in the town’s fiscal year 2009 “Federal Agenda.”
Friday, June 13, 2008
DARE Officer's firing: part of an alarming trend at the Mooresville Police Department
Though the Mooresville Police Department has found an officer to take over the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program for fifth graders in the Mooresville Graded School District, many people are still talking about the recent firing of Matt Burleyson, the Mooresville officer who headed up the program for years.
But perhaps what only a few people know is that Burleyson is just the latest casualty in a long string of officers who have left, or been fired from, Mooresville’s police department.
In fact, 59 officers are currently employed by the Mooresville Police Department, according to Human Resources. But in the past nine years that John Crone has been chief of police, we’ve lost an alarming number of officers – 71 to be exact. Of those, 57 resigned, 11 were fired and only three retired.
Crone fired Burleyson on May 13 – just after the school year’s DARE graduation.
According to Report sources, Burleyson became involved in some “petty politics” at Mooresville Intermediate School during the 2006-07 school year and was consequently pulled off the DARE program. At that time, the police department hired a female officer for the position, but she ended up not being suited for the job, so Burleyson was put back on the program for 2007-08.
It is customary for Mooresville police officers to carry in their patrol cars donated, child-friendly items – such as stuffed animals and bicycle helmets – to share with area children in an effort to establish and build rapport and communication. The items are also meant to be given to child-victims of crime and trauma. At the end of this school year, Burleyson gave three stuffed bunny rabbits from the trunk of his car to two Mooresville Intermediate School office personnel – including two to MIS Principal Julie Morrow – to take home to their children, sources say.
Sometime later, Burleyson asked Morrow, in light of the drama that had transpired the previous school year, if all was well between the two of them. Morrow apparently told Burleyson that everything was fine, and Burleyson asked Morrow if she would relay that to the police chief.
Sources say Morrow instead reported to Crone that Burleyson’s gesture made her feel “uncomfortable,” and shortly after that, Crone fired Burleyson for using “public property for personal gain.”
Morrow declined to comment on Burleyson’s firing this week, referring all Report questions to Crone. She said that she “cannot respond to your email because this is a police personnel issue.”
Crone did not respond to e-mails from the Report this week, in which he was given the opportunity to clarify or dispute any of the Report’s information about Burleyson’s firing. We also asked Crone if the bunny rabbits were returned to the police department. Though Crone did not respond, he signed a “read receipt,” acknowledging that he opened the e-mail on Tuesday.
Here’s a breakdown of the number of Mooresville officers who have resigned, retired or been terminated since 1999:
· In 1999, we lost eight officers – six resigned and two were fired.
· In 2000, five officers resigned.
· We lost seven officers in 2001 -- six resigned and one retired.
· Six resigned in 2002.
· In 2003, six officers left -- five resigned and one retired.
· In 2004, the town lost eight officers – six resigned and two were fired.
· In 2005, seven officers left the Mooresville Police Department – three resigned and four were fired.
· We lost five officers in 2006 -- four resigned and one retired.
· In 2007, the number of officers leaving the department spiked to 14. Of those, 12 resigned and two were fired.
· Six months into 2008, we’ve already lost five officers – four resigned and one (Burleyson) was terminated.
To compare Mooresville's police turnover to that of other area police departments contacted by the Report, click on the chart below:
The police departments of Statesville and Kannapolis have lost about as many officers as the Mooresville Police Department in the last five years -- Statesville lost 41, Mooresville lost 46 and Kannapolis lost 47. The difference is that Statesville employs 74 officers, and Kannapolis employs between 71 and 81 – compared to Mooresville’s 59.
The City of Monroe’s police department has 84 sworn officers – 25 more than Mooresville. In the past three years, 18 Monroe officers – an average of six per year – have resigned, retired or been terminated. Mooresville lost 26 (eight more than Monroe) in the same number of years.
A significantly larger percentage of officers have left Mooresville than the City of Hickory’s police department, too. Hickory’s department had between 105 and 114 authorized positions from 2005 to 2007 – almost double that of Mooresville. And in those three years, 29 officers resigned, retired or were fired from the Hickory Police Department. Mooresville, with half of Hickory’s police force, lost 26 officers in the same period of time – only three fewer than Hickory.
The City of Concord’s police department has a total manpower allocation of 156 – well more than double that of Mooresville’s. And in the last three years, 28 officers have left Concord. Of those, eight were retirees. Mooresville lost 26 officers in the same amount of time. And only one was a retiree.
Likewise, the City of Gastonia’s police department has employed between 152 and 168 sworn officers since 2002. In six years, Gastonia lost 90 officers – an average of 15 per year. Of the 90, one-third (29 officers) were retirees.
Compare that to Mooresville, with a police force of 59, which lost a whopping 46 officers from 2002 to 2007. And only two of those 46 were retirees.
So far this year, the City of Gastonia has had three police officers separate from the department. The Town of Mooresville is already up to five.
We may not know exactly what the problem is, but this much is clear: There is a problem in our police department.
But perhaps what only a few people know is that Burleyson is just the latest casualty in a long string of officers who have left, or been fired from, Mooresville’s police department.
In fact, 59 officers are currently employed by the Mooresville Police Department, according to Human Resources. But in the past nine years that John Crone has been chief of police, we’ve lost an alarming number of officers – 71 to be exact. Of those, 57 resigned, 11 were fired and only three retired.
Crone fired Burleyson on May 13 – just after the school year’s DARE graduation.
According to Report sources, Burleyson became involved in some “petty politics” at Mooresville Intermediate School during the 2006-07 school year and was consequently pulled off the DARE program. At that time, the police department hired a female officer for the position, but she ended up not being suited for the job, so Burleyson was put back on the program for 2007-08.
It is customary for Mooresville police officers to carry in their patrol cars donated, child-friendly items – such as stuffed animals and bicycle helmets – to share with area children in an effort to establish and build rapport and communication. The items are also meant to be given to child-victims of crime and trauma. At the end of this school year, Burleyson gave three stuffed bunny rabbits from the trunk of his car to two Mooresville Intermediate School office personnel – including two to MIS Principal Julie Morrow – to take home to their children, sources say.
Sometime later, Burleyson asked Morrow, in light of the drama that had transpired the previous school year, if all was well between the two of them. Morrow apparently told Burleyson that everything was fine, and Burleyson asked Morrow if she would relay that to the police chief.
Sources say Morrow instead reported to Crone that Burleyson’s gesture made her feel “uncomfortable,” and shortly after that, Crone fired Burleyson for using “public property for personal gain.”
Morrow declined to comment on Burleyson’s firing this week, referring all Report questions to Crone. She said that she “cannot respond to your email because this is a police personnel issue.”
Crone did not respond to e-mails from the Report this week, in which he was given the opportunity to clarify or dispute any of the Report’s information about Burleyson’s firing. We also asked Crone if the bunny rabbits were returned to the police department. Though Crone did not respond, he signed a “read receipt,” acknowledging that he opened the e-mail on Tuesday.
Here’s a breakdown of the number of Mooresville officers who have resigned, retired or been terminated since 1999:
· In 1999, we lost eight officers – six resigned and two were fired.
· In 2000, five officers resigned.
· We lost seven officers in 2001 -- six resigned and one retired.
· Six resigned in 2002.
· In 2003, six officers left -- five resigned and one retired.
· In 2004, the town lost eight officers – six resigned and two were fired.
· In 2005, seven officers left the Mooresville Police Department – three resigned and four were fired.
· We lost five officers in 2006 -- four resigned and one retired.
· In 2007, the number of officers leaving the department spiked to 14. Of those, 12 resigned and two were fired.
· Six months into 2008, we’ve already lost five officers – four resigned and one (Burleyson) was terminated.
To compare Mooresville's police turnover to that of other area police departments contacted by the Report, click on the chart below:
The police departments of Statesville and Kannapolis have lost about as many officers as the Mooresville Police Department in the last five years -- Statesville lost 41, Mooresville lost 46 and Kannapolis lost 47. The difference is that Statesville employs 74 officers, and Kannapolis employs between 71 and 81 – compared to Mooresville’s 59.
The City of Monroe’s police department has 84 sworn officers – 25 more than Mooresville. In the past three years, 18 Monroe officers – an average of six per year – have resigned, retired or been terminated. Mooresville lost 26 (eight more than Monroe) in the same number of years.
A significantly larger percentage of officers have left Mooresville than the City of Hickory’s police department, too. Hickory’s department had between 105 and 114 authorized positions from 2005 to 2007 – almost double that of Mooresville. And in those three years, 29 officers resigned, retired or were fired from the Hickory Police Department. Mooresville, with half of Hickory’s police force, lost 26 officers in the same period of time – only three fewer than Hickory.
The City of Concord’s police department has a total manpower allocation of 156 – well more than double that of Mooresville’s. And in the last three years, 28 officers have left Concord. Of those, eight were retirees. Mooresville lost 26 officers in the same amount of time. And only one was a retiree.
Likewise, the City of Gastonia’s police department has employed between 152 and 168 sworn officers since 2002. In six years, Gastonia lost 90 officers – an average of 15 per year. Of the 90, one-third (29 officers) were retirees.
Compare that to Mooresville, with a police force of 59, which lost a whopping 46 officers from 2002 to 2007. And only two of those 46 were retirees.
So far this year, the City of Gastonia has had three police officers separate from the department. The Town of Mooresville is already up to five.
We may not know exactly what the problem is, but this much is clear: There is a problem in our police department.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
On the Rise: Taxes and Elected Officials' Salaries
On the same night that Mooresville commissioners gave a preliminary nod of approval to a three-cent property tax hike, they also gave themselves a pay raise.
In a work session last night, commissioners voted 4-2 to include a three-cent property tax increase in the FY 2009 budget, which would raise the property tax rate to 58 cents per $100 valuation.
Commissioners have not approved the FY 2009 budget, and no "official vote" has been taken on the property tax rate, said Mooresville Finance Director Maia Setzer.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 23. "After the public hearing, I expect there to be additional discussion," Setzer said. "Only at that time will the tax rate be voted on -- along with a bunch of other items included in the budget. The (property tax rate) is effective with the FY 09 budget year that begins on July 1. The property value that is used for determining the tax 'bill' is from this past January."
Meanwhile, elected officials' annual salaries will increase by $1,500. Town Clerk Janet Pope said the raise will increase commissioners' current annual salaries to $7,583 (up from $6,083); the mayor pro tem's salary to $8,342 (up from $6,842) and the mayor's salary to $11,565 (up from $10,065).
Commissioners Miles Atkins and Chris Carney voted against both the proposed tax rate hike and the salary increases.
Commissioner Mac Herring said he is in favor of a property tax rate increase to help pay the recreation and street bonds that Mooresville voters approved in 2005. As for the pay increase, Herring said that in a study of what similar-sized towns pay their elected officials, Mooresville is very low on the list.
Perhaps surprisingly, commissioners won't hear much of an argument from me there.
Over the past few years, I have watched some of our elected leaders spend countless hours and evenings away from their families and "regular lives" to attend town meetings and other functions, juggle phone calls and e-mails and meet with members of the public.
Some may argue that commissioners knew what they were getting into before they ran for office -- and if they don't like it, they can resign or not seek re-election. And to a point, I agree. But a few of our commissioners often go above and beyond at least what I would expect of them. Ironically, two of the commissioners who likely deserve the pay-raise the most are the very ones who voted against it.
On the other hand, some of our elected officials work hard -- but oftentimes we're left to wonder just who or what they're working for.
As for a property-rate increase, I'm not fully convinced one is needed. And apparently, at least two commissioners agree.
From what I understand, very few cuts have been made in the budget since it was proposed to the town board by Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith. Another concern is that the town is not fully utilizing or maximizing its potential revenue sources.
Me? I'm concerned that commissioners are proposing an increase to the property tax rate when they haven't even addressed the fact that the town is paying up to $49,000 a month in fuel when about half of our police officers with town take-home cars don't live in Mooresville. (See "Should town take-home cars be eliminated as gas prices spike?" June 5, or click here:http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/06/should-town-take-home-cars-be.html)
Would eliminating take-home cars for out-of-town employees be enough to keep the tax rate steady? Of course not. But if commissioners have not addressed something that simple as a way to potentially save the taxpayers a few thousand dollars a month -- when it clearly points to a systemic problem in our town's fiscal management -- I am concerned that other, and much larger, potential "cuts" are being overlooked.
I've already heard the argument from one or two people that take-home cars are an "incentive" or "perk" for our police officers to make us "more competitive" with other police departments. But with the price of gas climbing to nearly $4 a gallon -- and no relief in sight -- those "perks" clearly need to be re-evaluated. The town's taxpayers simply cannot be expected to subsidize town employees' half-hour commute back and forth to work.
Up next in the Report: If take-home cars are truly being used as an "incentive" or "perk" to retain police officers, it isn't working ...
In a work session last night, commissioners voted 4-2 to include a three-cent property tax increase in the FY 2009 budget, which would raise the property tax rate to 58 cents per $100 valuation.
Commissioners have not approved the FY 2009 budget, and no "official vote" has been taken on the property tax rate, said Mooresville Finance Director Maia Setzer.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 23. "After the public hearing, I expect there to be additional discussion," Setzer said. "Only at that time will the tax rate be voted on -- along with a bunch of other items included in the budget. The (property tax rate) is effective with the FY 09 budget year that begins on July 1. The property value that is used for determining the tax 'bill' is from this past January."
Meanwhile, elected officials' annual salaries will increase by $1,500. Town Clerk Janet Pope said the raise will increase commissioners' current annual salaries to $7,583 (up from $6,083); the mayor pro tem's salary to $8,342 (up from $6,842) and the mayor's salary to $11,565 (up from $10,065).
Commissioners Miles Atkins and Chris Carney voted against both the proposed tax rate hike and the salary increases.
Commissioner Mac Herring said he is in favor of a property tax rate increase to help pay the recreation and street bonds that Mooresville voters approved in 2005. As for the pay increase, Herring said that in a study of what similar-sized towns pay their elected officials, Mooresville is very low on the list.
Perhaps surprisingly, commissioners won't hear much of an argument from me there.
Over the past few years, I have watched some of our elected leaders spend countless hours and evenings away from their families and "regular lives" to attend town meetings and other functions, juggle phone calls and e-mails and meet with members of the public.
Some may argue that commissioners knew what they were getting into before they ran for office -- and if they don't like it, they can resign or not seek re-election. And to a point, I agree. But a few of our commissioners often go above and beyond at least what I would expect of them. Ironically, two of the commissioners who likely deserve the pay-raise the most are the very ones who voted against it.
On the other hand, some of our elected officials work hard -- but oftentimes we're left to wonder just who or what they're working for.
As for a property-rate increase, I'm not fully convinced one is needed. And apparently, at least two commissioners agree.
From what I understand, very few cuts have been made in the budget since it was proposed to the town board by Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith. Another concern is that the town is not fully utilizing or maximizing its potential revenue sources.
Me? I'm concerned that commissioners are proposing an increase to the property tax rate when they haven't even addressed the fact that the town is paying up to $49,000 a month in fuel when about half of our police officers with town take-home cars don't live in Mooresville. (See "Should town take-home cars be eliminated as gas prices spike?" June 5, or click here:http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/06/should-town-take-home-cars-be.html)
Would eliminating take-home cars for out-of-town employees be enough to keep the tax rate steady? Of course not. But if commissioners have not addressed something that simple as a way to potentially save the taxpayers a few thousand dollars a month -- when it clearly points to a systemic problem in our town's fiscal management -- I am concerned that other, and much larger, potential "cuts" are being overlooked.
I've already heard the argument from one or two people that take-home cars are an "incentive" or "perk" for our police officers to make us "more competitive" with other police departments. But with the price of gas climbing to nearly $4 a gallon -- and no relief in sight -- those "perks" clearly need to be re-evaluated. The town's taxpayers simply cannot be expected to subsidize town employees' half-hour commute back and forth to work.
Up next in the Report: If take-home cars are truly being used as an "incentive" or "perk" to retain police officers, it isn't working ...
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Should town take-home cars be eliminated as gas prices spike?
As gas prices soar toward $4 a gallon, what is the Town of Mooresville doing to save taxpayer dollars by conserving fuel?
At Town Hall, apparently not very much. But individual departments have recently stepped up to the plate to ease some of the taxpayer burden.
The last memo issued by Town Hall, asking the public and town employees to conserve fuel, was in September 2005 when area gas prices topped $3 a gallon. The town’s director of administration and finance, Maia Setzer, told the Report when it first started asking questions about the town's fuel usage a month ago that “there have been several conversations” about the town conserving fuel. However, she said, she is “not aware” of any recent memos from Town Hall encouraging Mooresville employees to be more efficient.
From July 2007 through April 2008, the town paid an average of about $37,000 a month for fuel. April 2008 was the most expensive in the 10-month period, with employees and officials spending more than $49,000 in fuel. The least expensive month was February, at about $25,000. For each month’s fuel expenses, click on the document below:
Setzer said the figures are based on the date of invoices and not necessarily the date of the checks. For example, she said, an invoice dated July 30 is included in July’s information even though the check was issued Aug. 2, 2007.
The town’s monthly fuel expenses reflect fuel used by the town’s service vehicles, including police, fire, sanitation, etc. and other department employees conducting town work during normal business hours.
But the totals also include fuel used by town employees who have “take-home” vehicles. And Mooresville taxpayers are footing the bill for many of those people to drive back and forth to work every day from places like Salisbury, China Grove, Charlotte, Taylorsville, Huntersville, Statesville and Troutman.
With the exception of police, the fire chief and fire marshal, town employees with take-home vehicles are taxed $3 a day, said Human Resources Director Jackie Moore. In other words, to be able to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize their drive to work and back home each day, those employees have to “pay” the equivalent of one gallon of gas – minus $1 – a day.
Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith, who lives about a mile from Town Hall, drives his town-issued vehicle back and forth to work each day. Smith did not respond to Report questions about fuel usage this week.
Public Works Director John Vest also has a Mooresville-owned take-home vehicle that he drives back and forth to work from his home. In an e-mail to the Report today, Vest -- on behalf of the public services administration, public works, utilities and engineering departments -- provided a list of ways that the public services departments are working to conserve fuel during business hours.
Vest also provided a list of department employees with town take-home cars, including himself, the public works manager, street supervisor, fleet superintendent, sanitation superintendent and the building and grounds superintendent -- all of whom, Vest points out, are "on call" for emergencies. (For Vest's complete response, click on the documents below:)
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At Town Hall, apparently not very much. But individual departments have recently stepped up to the plate to ease some of the taxpayer burden.
The last memo issued by Town Hall, asking the public and town employees to conserve fuel, was in September 2005 when area gas prices topped $3 a gallon. The town’s director of administration and finance, Maia Setzer, told the Report when it first started asking questions about the town's fuel usage a month ago that “there have been several conversations” about the town conserving fuel. However, she said, she is “not aware” of any recent memos from Town Hall encouraging Mooresville employees to be more efficient.
From July 2007 through April 2008, the town paid an average of about $37,000 a month for fuel. April 2008 was the most expensive in the 10-month period, with employees and officials spending more than $49,000 in fuel. The least expensive month was February, at about $25,000. For each month’s fuel expenses, click on the document below:
Setzer said the figures are based on the date of invoices and not necessarily the date of the checks. For example, she said, an invoice dated July 30 is included in July’s information even though the check was issued Aug. 2, 2007.
The town’s monthly fuel expenses reflect fuel used by the town’s service vehicles, including police, fire, sanitation, etc. and other department employees conducting town work during normal business hours.
But the totals also include fuel used by town employees who have “take-home” vehicles. And Mooresville taxpayers are footing the bill for many of those people to drive back and forth to work every day from places like Salisbury, China Grove, Charlotte, Taylorsville, Huntersville, Statesville and Troutman.
With the exception of police, the fire chief and fire marshal, town employees with take-home vehicles are taxed $3 a day, said Human Resources Director Jackie Moore. In other words, to be able to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize their drive to work and back home each day, those employees have to “pay” the equivalent of one gallon of gas – minus $1 – a day.
Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith, who lives about a mile from Town Hall, drives his town-issued vehicle back and forth to work each day. Smith did not respond to Report questions about fuel usage this week.
Public Works Director John Vest also has a Mooresville-owned take-home vehicle that he drives back and forth to work from his home. In an e-mail to the Report today, Vest -- on behalf of the public services administration, public works, utilities and engineering departments -- provided a list of ways that the public services departments are working to conserve fuel during business hours.
Vest also provided a list of department employees with town take-home cars, including himself, the public works manager, street supervisor, fleet superintendent, sanitation superintendent and the building and grounds superintendent -- all of whom, Vest points out, are "on call" for emergencies. (For Vest's complete response, click on the documents below:)
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While Vest provided a list of public services employees who have town take-home vehicles, he also said that the department does not require those employees to maintain a mileage log or a log of how many times they have been called back to work after business hours.
Unfortunately, that leaves one to wonder if the taxpayers' "return" matches the "investment." For instance, it is unclear -- since no logs are maintained -- how many times Vest, listed as a resident of Salisbury, has actually been called back to work in Mooresville for an "emergency" situation. Additionally, another public services employee listed in Vest's document is said to live in the Charlotte area but drives his Town of Mooresville vehicle between home and work in case he's called back for an after-hours "emergency."
As a Mooresville citizen, I would hope that in the event of a true emergency, we wouldn’t wait the half-hour or so it would take for our public services employees to drive here from Salisbury or Charlotte.
Police officers make up the highest number of town employees with take-home vehicles. Mooresville Police Chief John Crone, in an e-mail to the Report today, provided a copy of a message that he said the police department sent to all drivers of police vehicles, offering specific ways they can reduce fuel consumption while patrolling the Mooresville community. It is unclear when the message was sent to the officers.
But specific to after-shift use of police vehicles, Crone said the department does not maintain a mileage log of officers who drive their vehicles home or to "secondary employment," including part-time, off-duty jobs such as Wal-Mart and directing traffic during lunch and class changes near the NASCAR Technical Institute.
Crone said the department also does not keep a log of the number of times officers are called back into work after their shift is over. However, he said that "members of the Special Response Team are called in most frequently (about once every two weeks for a high risk situation) while accident reconstructionists may be called back about once a month." Also, Crone added, "A detective may be called in about once a week, and each patrol officer is called back for additional manpower about once a month."
Most would agree that seeing police cars parked throughout the community provides a sense of safety and security for area residents. But the question is why many of our officers are allowed to use Mooresville tax dollars to fill up their gas tanks then drive home to Taylorsville, Troutman, Statesville, Huntersville, Salisbury, China Grove, Taylorsville, Cleveland, Lincolnton and Cabarrus and Catawba counties.
In fact, of the 48 police officers on Human Resources’ list of employees with take-home vehicles, at least 19 live outside of Mooresville.
Some may agree that it’s important for officers to have their patrol cars in the event that they’re called back into work after hours, and many would also likely agree that officers with specialized training should be able to take their police cars home. But without a log of exactly how many times regular patrol officers are called back into work, the question becomes: If the police department has officers on duty around the clock, just how often does a situation so dire arise that it has to call its regular patrol officers back to work after their shift is over?
In fact, of the 48 police officers on Human Resources’ list of employees with take-home vehicles, at least 19 live outside of Mooresville.
Some may agree that it’s important for officers to have their patrol cars in the event that they’re called back into work after hours, and many would also likely agree that officers with specialized training should be able to take their police cars home. But without a log of exactly how many times regular patrol officers are called back into work, the question becomes: If the police department has officers on duty around the clock, just how often does a situation so dire arise that it has to call its regular patrol officers back to work after their shift is over?
For a complete look at Crone's e-mail to the Report, click on the documents below:
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Mooresville Fire Chief Wes Greene said that he and Fire Marshal Gary Styers are the only two fire personnel with take-home vehicles, “and we both live in the town limits,” he added.
In addition to attending town meetings after hours, Greene said he uses his town car to respond to “incidents and investigations, depending on the type of incident and severity.”
Greene also forwarded a memo, dated May 28, in which the assistant fire chief instructed all Mooresville fire personnel to “bring meals for the entire day.” It states that fire equipment cannot be used to travel for food purchases and warns that “more stringent orders may follow if gas/diesel prices continue to rise.”
In conclusion, states the memo, “It is our responsibility to use every penny of tax money efficiently so that we can continue to deliver superior service to the citizens.”
To read the entire memo, click on the document below:
The town’s recreation director, Wanda McKenzie, also has a take-home vehicle. She said she lives just over four miles from her office at the War Memorial. While she said she has not kept a log of after-hour miles put on her vehicle, or the number of times she has been called back into work after business hours, “I would guess it is an average of six times a month for some reason or another,” she said.
“I do not go home at all during the day, so it is just round trip,” McKenzie said, adding, “I do, however, come back at night and on weekends for special events and sometimes just to check on things. For instance, I came by Saturday for the pool opening to make sure everything was going okay.”
She said the recreation department has taken specific steps to conserve fuel. For example, when athletic staff members visit the parks for various reasons, they are instructed to take everything they need, leave there for games and go “park to park” instead of back to the office, McKenzie said.
The recreation department also keeps a list of needed materials and supplies so that all the department’s errands can be run in as few trips as possible. “I have also asked for suggestions from staff members on ways we can conserve,” McKenzie added.
In addition to attending town meetings after hours, Greene said he uses his town car to respond to “incidents and investigations, depending on the type of incident and severity.”
Greene also forwarded a memo, dated May 28, in which the assistant fire chief instructed all Mooresville fire personnel to “bring meals for the entire day.” It states that fire equipment cannot be used to travel for food purchases and warns that “more stringent orders may follow if gas/diesel prices continue to rise.”
In conclusion, states the memo, “It is our responsibility to use every penny of tax money efficiently so that we can continue to deliver superior service to the citizens.”
To read the entire memo, click on the document below:
The town’s recreation director, Wanda McKenzie, also has a take-home vehicle. She said she lives just over four miles from her office at the War Memorial. While she said she has not kept a log of after-hour miles put on her vehicle, or the number of times she has been called back into work after business hours, “I would guess it is an average of six times a month for some reason or another,” she said.
“I do not go home at all during the day, so it is just round trip,” McKenzie said, adding, “I do, however, come back at night and on weekends for special events and sometimes just to check on things. For instance, I came by Saturday for the pool opening to make sure everything was going okay.”
She said the recreation department has taken specific steps to conserve fuel. For example, when athletic staff members visit the parks for various reasons, they are instructed to take everything they need, leave there for games and go “park to park” instead of back to the office, McKenzie said.
The recreation department also keeps a list of needed materials and supplies so that all the department’s errands can be run in as few trips as possible. “I have also asked for suggestions from staff members on ways we can conserve,” McKenzie added.
How about town commissioners? While they are allowed a mileage reimbursement for trips taken while on town business, Commissioner Frank Rader has recently begun driving a town-owned vehicle.
Rader said he drives the car – which government officials call “Big Blue” – to travel to Statesville for meetings of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners and the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education. He also uses the vehicle to travel to Raleigh for meetings of the N.C. League of Municipalities, the Department of Natural Resources and “legislative meets.” He said he also drives the town car to Lincolnton for meetings of the Lake Norman Rural Planning Organization and to other places for “area conferences, summits and go sees.”
“I top it off before and after each trip … my top offs will show under Erskine (Smith)’s gas records,” Rader wrote in an e-mail to some government officials last month, shortly after the Report e-mailed questions about town employees’/commissioners’ fuel usage.
“Monday to Raleigh, (the car) got 26+ miles per gallon, calculated on pump gallons and odometer miles,” Rader wrote, noting to Town Clerk Janet Pope: “By the way, Janet, it pulled a bit to the left.
“My next use is Friday to go to Charlotte,” Rader continued. “Blue is well maintained, and I drive with traffic flow so I don’t think Blue can do any better.”
Rader said he drives the car – which government officials call “Big Blue” – to travel to Statesville for meetings of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners and the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education. He also uses the vehicle to travel to Raleigh for meetings of the N.C. League of Municipalities, the Department of Natural Resources and “legislative meets.” He said he also drives the town car to Lincolnton for meetings of the Lake Norman Rural Planning Organization and to other places for “area conferences, summits and go sees.”
“I top it off before and after each trip … my top offs will show under Erskine (Smith)’s gas records,” Rader wrote in an e-mail to some government officials last month, shortly after the Report e-mailed questions about town employees’/commissioners’ fuel usage.
“Monday to Raleigh, (the car) got 26+ miles per gallon, calculated on pump gallons and odometer miles,” Rader wrote, noting to Town Clerk Janet Pope: “By the way, Janet, it pulled a bit to the left.
“My next use is Friday to go to Charlotte,” Rader continued. “Blue is well maintained, and I drive with traffic flow so I don’t think Blue can do any better.”
For the list of all town employees with take-home vehicles, provided to the Report by Human Resources, click on the documents below:
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MSIEDC newsletter (edited)
FYI, here is a scanned copy of the edited version of the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation's new newsletter; the copy I received, which was posted earlier this week, was apparently an unedited draft:
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Interim Town Engineer Tonia Wimberly resigns
The Report has learned that Tonia Wimberly -- the Town of Mooresville's Interim Engineering Supervisor since former Town Manager Jamie Justice fired Richard McMillan in February 2006 -- has resigned.
Wimberly apparently turned in her resignation shortly after the town offered the position of Town Engineer to a Florida man.
(For more information on Wimberly, see "More on Wasterwatergate: The Poisoned Project," April 8, or click here: http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/04/more-on-wastewatergate-poisoned-project.html)
More details will be posted as they become available ...
Wimberly apparently turned in her resignation shortly after the town offered the position of Town Engineer to a Florida man.
(For more information on Wimberly, see "More on Wasterwatergate: The Poisoned Project," April 8, or click here: http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2008/04/more-on-wastewatergate-poisoned-project.html)
More details will be posted as they become available ...
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Survey says ...
The Report recently conducted a 4-day poll, asking whether you believe the towns of Mooresville and Davidson should provide the additional $12.5 million for upgrades to the cable system.
By a vote of two-to-one, you said the towns should not invest the additional money. Of 60 voters, 40 (66 percent) said "no" to the additional funding, and 20 (33 percent) said "yes."
Thanks for participating in the Report's first poll!
By a vote of two-to-one, you said the towns should not invest the additional money. Of 60 voters, 40 (66 percent) said "no" to the additional funding, and 20 (33 percent) said "yes."
Thanks for participating in the Report's first poll!
New Economic Development newsletter
FYI, here's the first edition of the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation's newsletter. It includes three pages; click on each document for a larger version:
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