In a classic illustration of what is wrong with the Brown administration, it attempted to shove something down the throats of workers without even attempting to build a consensus.
The records obtained from Barron reveal that NorCo first paid Kronos $7,810 in January 2016 for two timeclocks, including $810 for support service. In December 2016, it purchased five more systems at a cost of $19,526.75, including $2,025 for one year of support service.
In addition to the payments to Kronos, which include an annual support service fee of $405 for each timeclock, the County is paying Diefenderfer Electric an installation fee of $377 per machine.
Basically, Executive John Brown and Human Resources Director Amy Trapp have just flushed $30,000 in taxpayer dollars down the toilet for a timekeeping system that in reality will only be used for a handful of workers, if at all.
29 comments:
Deduct the $30 K from the bloated salaries of Von Trapp and tax cheat Allen, who was likely behind this bonehead purchase 100%.
Lets be honest. Barring some miracle of fate you know that John Brown and the entire Republican county council will be re-elected. So why keep this up?
Do you really think any of the democrats have any chance at all in the county?
I see a lawsuit in the horizon if most don't need to punch. How can some be forced to while others don't have to. Sounds like discrimination to me that will increase the $30K!!!!!
Bill the Brown/Allen/Trapp horde for the costs. Of course we [the taxpayers] don't expect Ms. Allen to pay her share; she don't pay taxes, why pay this. These inept administrators, who all try to hide behind existing law which is non-existent, have to be sent on their way!
OK so it has been established that the original suggestion for time clocks came from Mr. Barron and now he is backpedaling. Two Democrat politicians attacking a Republican administration following a suggestion from an audit. This is nothing more than an attempt to create a campaign issue. Yawn.
What audit report of Barron's said this. He commented and said it isn't in one, Bernie has said this is BS, I have looked for the report on his website which seems to have every audit his office has done. I can't find anywhere where the controller recommends timeclocks!
@4:39
Not discrimination but a case of Selective Enforcement could be argued.
"Lets be honest. Barring some miracle of fate you know that John Brown and the entire Republican county council will be re-elected. So why keep this up?"
Because some of us are interested in good government and resent bad government. Not partisans like you, but some of us.
"Not discrimination but a case of Selective Enforcement could be argued."
Regardless what it is called, implementing timeclocks that only apply to the county's lowest paid workers is bound to create resentment and reduce morale, thus defeating the purpose. Amy Trapp would know this if she got out among the employees as she claimed she did when she was hired.
"In a classic illustration of what is wrong with the Brown administration, it attempted to shove something down the throats of workers without even attempting to build a consensus."
Mr. Brown's "authoritarian" style of management and his "close to the vest" persona have worked against him. Even his supporter's can see this. To knowingly continue to take that path appears arrogant and at times, quite partisan. Leadership should be about people and issues, not about partisan politics.
I agree completely Jeff. We probably come at this from different angles, but this is really an issue of governance.
No doubt they'll try to recoup this $30k loss by cutting what's left of our medical "benefits", yet again.
Taxpayers hate this kind of waste. But it's not even pocket change compared to the Human Services building debacle. Then, there's Barron stealing time, Ferraro using tax money to buy votes over an ambulance contract, Morganelli refusing to be accountable for a single dollar under his purview, an unnecessary 10% tax hike.... The list goes on and on. The only consistency is the contempt and hatred the county government industry has for taxpayers.
HS building debacle? What have you been smoking?
Typical Brown/Allen fumbling and bumbling at tax payers expense. Send this clown and his Kelly Anne wannabe packing in November and resume a sane approach to county government.
Brown is done in this county. His body of work speaks loudly and clearly. He is a tax and spend Republican who believes in government by consultant and as many of those that he can hire in lieu of real leadership. Delegating authority to his minions is not the answer. Good bye JB..thanks for nothing.
anon 4:29,
He/she has probably been smoking reality. A 30Million$ plus building for less services. HS services have been getting cut back, few people go into the building and we built that thing?? Fact is like Reibman and his courthouse and Stoffa and his HS monstrosity, County Executives are like Pharaohs that need to have pyramids to signify their deity. We need a county council to just say no.
This is just a jobs program fdr9o labor unions.
Gov. Wolf building was dying or near death. HS building was a no brainer and it is now very accessible and not located in Easton! Court house expansion and refurbish job was also needed and bashing Stoffa not productive as he at least accomplished some good things. Brown has done nothing for the people..zero. Gracedale got healthy despite him and his constant attacks on county workers. His bloated DCED scam has still not accomplished a thing. None of his hair brained schemes worked. Flush him!
"HS building was a no brainer"
You are right about that.lol No brains indeed. Did you ever hear of drywall and paint? Typical trough feeder thinking, just spend more money.
Meanwhile, bridges have been unaddressed for years while we build monuments to the golden shovel - cardboard check gangsters.
You got it anon 7:06. That stupid overpriced building was a gift to the developer and the union guys who built it.
They were installing the clocks today.Saw our IT department doing it.
I have a pic.
Trapp placed timeclocks in the City of Allentown as well and originally the clocks were to be used by all of the employees in my bureau. However the bureau manager decided that salaried managers did not have to punch in or out however hourly managers had to. So not sure if this occurred city wide or not but my manager made her own rules so often so who knows. But this caused resentment because the salaried managers would come in late, take two hour lunches then leave early. There was no accountability. Hourly managers were held to a different standard. At least in my bureau.
@ 10 AM-- Thank you for "Selective Enforcement." Unless the punching of the clock is enforced for everyone that will be the next lawsuit the County will see! They can take that out of Trapp's bloated salary that bloats her head even more.
There already is resentment by hourly workers of salaried (FLSA exempt) workers. The salaried workers are supposed to, on average work a minimum of 40 hours a week. They have the flexibility of working odd hours, staggered schedules, coming in early, leaving late and even working from home. There really is NO accountability for their time. Supposedly, this is to protect the employer from overtime costs that are more likely to be worked by salaried workers than hourly workers. Results mean more than timekeeping. However, it can be abused by salaried workers who really do not produce anything of value, are rarely seen by coworkers in the workplace, and are suspected of fraudulent work schedules. So why subject hourly workers to a different, higher level of scrutiny? Especially when it is not ALL hourly workers. This move is ripe for a union grievance and/or lawsuit. And it is terrible for employee morale.
Morale will fall very rapidly once the time clocks are put in use, unions will file grievances, lawsuits will be filed but nothing will change for Trapp she will continue to make changes good or bad to just suit her and all the little people will continue to suffer until a change in command can happen.
Brown needs all the support he can get yet he is allowing this to happen and it will affect morale of county employees that are tax paying registered voters of the county, not a good way of doing business in my view, I would want all the county employees on my side and would expect their support at election time.
Good job Amy. About time someone puts a stop to people stealing time and money from the county
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