These reports have in turn led to several complaints to Controller Steve Barron that Allen is misusing a County-owned vehicle, which has been spotted at her home. These may turn out to be unfounded complaints, but Barron asked for the mileage logs on Friday. As of this moment, they have not been produced.
Director of Administration Luis Campos told Barron they would be produced later in the week, but he wanted to have a meeting first to "discuss the big picture strategy of efficiency optimization throughout the County."
That "big picture" is contained in Article IV of the Home Rule Charter, which imposes a duty on the Controller to "audit at any time" the potential misuse of County funds. Barron made clear to Campos that he is more than willing to participate in a meeting, but needs to see the mileage log now, not later in the week. The longer the County takes to produce it, the more an opportunity for mischief presents itself.
Campos has still refused to turn over the mileage log.
Barron tells Council that his request "for one or two pages of information is not that big of a deal, as it is a document being produced and maintained as a business record of the day to day operations of the county. It makes me wonder what is being hidden."
Instead of receiving the log, Barron has received a sermon from County Council member mat Benol, who thinks Council should be able to meet in secret. He accuses Barron of engaging in a "political endeavor," and then attempts to deflect from the issue by telling Barron he should be looking at Xerox contracts for IT services. He tells Barron to put "petty partisan issues aside and do what the Controllers office was truly set up to do. I really do not want to dig up the past and review missteps of prior administrations that you neglected to investigate with the same vigor."
He also instructs Barron that "[a] true controller with a background and experience would know how to properly utilize the expertise of the Controllers department and know how to dissect large contracts for inefficiency in order to truly save County finances."
Barrron advised at the end of today's County Council budget hearing that Campos has agreed to turn over the mileage log. ... Tomorrow.
46 comments:
Benol is a Bonehead!
Allen is stealing from the residents of Northampton Cty in more ways than one!
Mat (that's with one T dammit!) Benol has become Brown's little lapdog, yapping at Barron to detract the public from abuses in the Clown administration. There is no doubt in my mind that Cathy Allen is using a county car for personal use. She probably uses it to commute to work, which once again is a misuse of county resources. She got caught cheating on her travel expense report, then instead of showing a single ounce of regret bitched to her sugar daddy Brown who gave her the use of a county car. She lay low for awhile, using the car only for travel from her headquarters in Easton. Then once scrutiny on her behavior diminished she said "what the hell" and just drove it to and from her home. A whistle-blower noticed this and instead of acting on this abuse of county resources, the Clown administration and its talking head Campos stonewall Barron and sic their little Chihuahua Benol on the Controller. Let's hope that Barron ignores this pest and does his job to protect the taxpayers of the county from rogue employees like Allen.
A person like Allen, who is in deep financial trouble, would do anything to save a few bucks, including using a county car to commute to work. And Brown has been her enabler. Both of them are crooks.
I would tend to think there is no abuse, and Barron could see in a matter of about 30 seconds whether a full-scale audit is warranted. The fact that the County stonewalls him sends the wrong message. And if anyone is being political, it is Benol. Barron is doing his job, and Benol is running a creeen play for Brown.
I heard the requested documents were left at the community college where Steve could retrieve them this afternoon while there.
Get used to this Steve. The new look council will most likely do nothing as to misuse of funds by the Administration members. Brown will soon have several more allies running interference for himself and the rest of his crony posse. Barron the last line of defense for the tax payers.
Benol slipped into the last spot on the council race in 2013. There were a couple more qualified people but the voters spoke and many voters did not. So as the saying goes, suck on it.
Barron should file a RTK. That should be newsworthy - when the County Controller needs to submit a RTK request to get documents that he has a right to audit at any time.
Tomorrow me and my friends with Shegda are meeting at his house to address this debacle. Brown must go. Barron needs to pull in the reigns before Benol turns into Himler. River
Brown must go! What does the HRC say about getting an executive removed? A special vote? This happened in Wisconsin to a governor. Yes I know how that turned out but this vote would be different and by a landslide
It would be news to John Stoffa that Steve Barron didn't investigate his administration with full vigor! Wow, Benol lives in another reality.
Benol and Vaughn are both just tools. Worthless members of council except when Brown needs help or an out. Shame on the people for not showing up to vote. Apathy is rampant and the result is very bad government.
You can't remove Brown from office..geez. Find a decent person to run against him and push him out at the end of his term!
Bob Werner would make an excellent county Executive now that I think about it.
Yes anon 7:46, Bob Werner has been telling everyone he is running for four years now.
Bernie
Chief Zieger was allowed to keep the money he was paid for being acting Sheriff and now this matter is being discussed by Council during budget talks. HR took away the extra pay the LT. was receiving for being acting Chief. This is what is wrong with the County - certain individuals are given different treatment for doing the same things.
Brown doesn't like chiefs. He hates law enforcement for some reason?
Efficiency optimization??? This meaningless Brown speak has been incorporated into the standard parlance of his underlings. If this trainwreck wasn't so pitiful it would be laughable.
Steve is being impatient. We all waited several years for him to start doing his job.
I am a very safe distance from Steve politically, but I commend him for this. Find the people wasting the money taken from me in taxes and see that they are held to account. If he keeps this up I may have to vote for him next time.
Bob Werner? Isn't that guy like 75 years old? Good Grief.
Aside from anonymous statements here, I have not heard Werner is running for Exec. He'd have a rough time, but I think he'd be better than the incumbent.
There are two other Democrats being begged to run. If either decides to do so, this race is over now.
This is easy to figure out. It is not only the use of the car but the payment via credit card for the gas it uses.(where the county doesn`t pay certain taxes) Also if she takes the car home and stops off tomorrow on her way to work at gracedale or the human services building or does it at the end of the day she covers her butt. By the way who transferred the car to begin with? What department ?
No, she cannot use the car to commute to the courthouse with a pit stop at Gracedale or Human Services. That won't cover her, as I understand it.
So glad that Mat B knows "how to dissect large contracts for inefficiency in order to truly save County finances." Like his defense of Brown's contracts?
HRC does state that the Controller "SHALL...(2) audit at any time, on his own initiative or at the request of the County Council or the County Executive, any account of any agency receiving, disbursing, or authorizing the disbursement of County funds."
I hold my nose with Barron, thanks to his little stunt back as a new controller trying to impress the union folks, but Brown, Benol, et al, keep handing him on a silver platter opportunities to atone for that mistake and come across as a Controller and not a hack.
Luis Campos told Barron they would be produced later in the week, but he wanted to have a meeting first to "discuss the big picture strategy of efficiency optimization throughout the County."
Did Brown make it a requirement that those selected for his cabinet have duck soup for a vocabulary? They all sound like they came out of some special ed high school for stuck up assholes.
The translation of what he said is "Sure looks like Allen fucked up again. I'm not turning over the records so you can prove it."
"Bob Werner? Isn't that guy like 75 years old? Good Grief."
Not really sure what your mental deficiency is. Werner is more like around 60 by my guess, but he doesn't seem like he is older than his 50's. What the heck does it matter, if he is physically and mentally fit (which both are true)? He speaks very well and is professional. Good grief, indeed.
"There are two other Democrats being begged to run. If either decides to do so, this race is over now."
OK Bernie, if Lisa Boscola or John Morganelli ran they would probably win. Neither wants to run for executive and at this point why would they, given their current positions. After that what have you got? Werner or Kraft? Outside of their districts they have northing. Panto, not anymore.
So let me guess someone is pitching ole Setyfried and Grucela? These guys are done. Legends in their own minds. Seyfried has twice been rejected by county voters.
So unless you have some magic candidate, your "sources" are about as credible as most Democratic self-appointed bigwigs usually are. The Democrats will fare no better than 2013. Hell back then County Executive John Callahan claimed polls showed him winning by double digits.
After Boscola and Morganelli, there are no sure bets.
Maybe the Dem's can comb through their 2013 candidates and see what their vote totals looked like and go from there. Maybe Tom O'Donnell can be talked into running for County Executive. Your great white hope is just an extension of your hatred of John Brown. The Dem's love personalities not numbers and they get killed because of it.
As I have said before, you'll find out when you find out.
I agree with Bernie, you will find out when you find out, "John Stoffa 2017"
Oh Yea!!!!
Grucela? No thank you..please. Werner the best option for the county Democratic Party. Easton connection will deliver the votes to derail Brown if he runs again.
if jm or lb ran they could still control the puppet strings in bedlam
"He'll turn it over tomorrow."
"Tomorrow" never comes.
Campos a tool. Worthless hire..another worthless consultant with puppet strings attached.
Heard it might be Mark Aurand, the guy who beat Parsons in the primary last year. Nobody knows who he is but the same can be said about Brown in 2013.
Aurand only won because Joe Cap stuck his nose in that primary race otherwise he would be an afterthought at this point. Three was a crowd and that DINO ..One Vote Joe..really screwed things up.
Fed Ed and Cathy Allen should both resign!!!!!
Bernie, why is the tweet section covering part of the article you've written on Her? This just started happening about a week ago.
Here's an idea: use gps tracking for county vehicles. The technology allows for geo fencing and determination of how long a vehicle idles. Then the controller can pull information when necessary to audit the use of county vehicles.
"Bernie, why is the tweet section covering part of the article you've written on Her? This just started happening about a week ago."
Sorry but i don't understand your question.
Gary W. Gorman posts:
On a related note, can Steve Barron please remove all of his campaign signs that are still littering up the Lehigh Valley, especially in Lower Saucon Township. I voted for him, but every day when I pass his signs, I think that he is/was more concerned about himself getting elected rather than protecting and help beautify Northampton County. First, he was teaching classes at Northampton County Community College during working hours and now his tattered and worn campaign signs are still strewn all over our valley. Get it together, Controller.
This is too funny!
Plenty of other election signs out there still littering the landscape..not just Barron materials.
Can't beat "CHARLES!" signs... you'd still see them a year after the election.
Did Barron get the mileage log?
Campos is rude, useless, and John Brown's bully. I've observed how he speaks to Barron and other professionals and he is dismissive at best. What's his background? Can't wait til he along with the rest of the Brownstain train is gone! When campos needs to fill in for Brown he has no comment....waste of taxpayer money.
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