What will come of Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith’s recommendation to give Cops for Kids $20,000 from the Town of Mooresville’s general fund in the 2008-09 fiscal year?
Smith recommended the $20,000 line-item expenditure, according to the approved 2008-09 budget. Town Finance Director Maia Setzer said this week that the $20,000 would only be distributed from funds deposited with the town from Cops for Kids.
But Smith told commissioners in an e-mail yesterday that his recommendation at Monday night’s town board meeting will be that the town “not appropriates [sic] any money to COPS for Kids proposed under the current budget,” after all.
Interestingly, Commissioner Miles Atkins three days earlier had said in an e-mail to Smith and fellow commissioners that he would be recommending that very action at the town board meeting: “We need to get to the bottom of this and make sure we get some answers and there is accountability,” Atkins said. “I will be recommending we pull the ($20,000) from the budget and not use taxpayer dollars for CFK (Cops for Kids).”
Smith responded to Atkins and the other commissioners about 10 minutes later. In his e-mail, he did not indicate that he planned to pursue such a recommendation. “You can certainly make that budget amendment as new business in the July agenda,” Smith stated in the e-mail. “Maia can prepare the budget amendment. The CFK revenues and expenditures were being handled by the Police Department. The recommendation this year from the Finance Department was to NOT have the Police manage this anymore. That is why there is a $20,000 revenue and a $20,000 expenditure line item.” But then Smith went on to say: “I’m not sure what the questions are, but having it under the Town’s finance department certainly provides better accountability.”
When asked by the Report to recall specifically when the finance department made the recommendation to "not have the police manage" the Cops for Kids fund any longer – and to produce any memo, e-mail or other supporting documentation that proves it – Smith responded by e-mail: “I’m not sure it was specifically stated by anyone in Finance but likely it was discussed during early Budget talks back in January or February. There is no memo or other written documentation…”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
10 comments:
Another statement to cover a statement. A move to cover a past position. I can only guess what your responses will be to commissioners: 1) I don't recall 2) it was "likely" back in January 3) I don't remember.
The town of Mooresville deserves better than someone who does this BS. Please resign Mr. Smith so you can walk around Mooresville without people thinking you are a parasite, but truth be told, its already too late.
I've been reading about this Cops 4 Kids mess. All I can say is this - Erskine, liar, liar, pants on fire.
In response to Tribune questions, Erskine Smith said, "The Chief did not know that Cops for Kids was incorporated until a search of the Secretary of States Office
showed that it was incorporated on 6/29/01." Did attorney Ben Thomas create the corporation on his own, without talking with Crone or anyone from town hall? Can town employees create corporations representing the town on their own, without at least informing commissioners?
If you are Erskine Smith trying to protect "The Machine" you can. They do not want any investigation into this thing because it will open up the whole town to scrutiny.
Let's see if Thunberg, Rader and Abraham still want to make this crooked turkey (Erskin Smith) the town manager. He's actually probably starting to look better and better to them! We'll have their hide if they do.
I love this. Erskine Smith saw the lay of the land and decided (or was advised by one of his supporters on the board) that he could "get ahead" of this thing by making a grand gesture and with his irresponsible recommendation to fund this bogus "charity". EXCEPT, it looks like that idea actually belonged to Commissioner Miles Atkins first. It also looks like Erskine Smith didn't like the idea too much at the time and KEPT trying to "sell" Cops for Kids to the board. What changed??? Oh, that's right. Now everybody knows about the thousands of dollars in cash that Crone took out of this account without any proof of where it all went. Time to do some quick cleanup, Erskine. Because that's all information that YOU should have looked into BEFORE you recommended the town get involved with CFK. Some of the board members seem to be onto you, but this is what I say to those who are not onto you: Smith has embarrassed you and made you all look like fools and buffoons. He's sleazy, and so is anyone who backs him from this point forward.
Smith tell us "having it under the Town’s finance department certainly provides better accountability.” Excuse me while I choke on these words. Who does he think he is fooling? The man is delusional. It was him and the finance department that had to be schooled on this by a couple of local reporters.
I so enjoy watching Erskine Smith backpeddle. The ultimate weasel. But one of these days this particular weasel may backpeddle right into a trap.
Any MPD officer reading this go to "Chief Spending Weekend at PD" and answer question on comments by July 6, 10:58 Thanks for your service.
I heard Rader was pushing for this right up to the eleventh hour. Nobody gave him the memo? The man has his transmitter on, but receiver's always off.
Post a Comment