Yesterday, I published NorCo Controller Tara Zrinski's audit of $5 million in federal pandemic funds approved by County Council in 2022 for retention bonuses at Gracedale over a period of five years. Her review was the result of a request from Council after several members received complaints from career service (nonunion) employees that they had been told there would be no more bonuses. Those employees were right. Zrinski's financial inspection revealed that less than half ($2.36 million) had been paid to staff. The rest of the money was commingled with other funds and used for Gracedale expenses.
Last night, Executive Lamont McClure tried to explain what happened. He called everything political. He blamed Gracedale workers for excessive overtime, which amounted to $8 million in 2022 and 2023. He threw former administrator Jennifer Stewart under the bus for allowing it. He blamed media coverage of Gracedale and Council oversight for poor morale. He talked about having fired people. He talked about shortfalls in an annual intergovernmental grant. He said Gracedale is owed $5.5 million from Medicaid residents, who take 325 days to receive approval. He even tried to claim, somewhat disingenuously, that he had told Council that retention bonuses were exhausted during a Human Services Committee last year, although that was only with respect to a county union that received higher pay. At no time did he actually acknowledge that his administration had defied a Council appropriation of $5 million for retention bonuses. He claimed he was unaware of what was happening at Gracedale until last year, but he's the Executive. Frankly, this was his mistake, and he should have apologized.
Council member John Goffredo immediately asked, "Is it not your responsibility to make sure the money is spent the way the resolution [approving $5 million in Gracedale retention bonuses] stated?"
McClure: "It is our responsibility to do our level best to do that, but they [Gracedale] spent that money down, unbeknownst to me. My permission was never sought, nor was I told they were spending that money down, and I assumed incorrectly that the money had had separate line items."
He admitted, as Council members John Brown and Goffredo had asserted in previous meetings, that Gracedale was "wasting money" in 2024, and that when he learned of it, "we immediately went into action."
Goffredo was suspicious of McClure's explanation. "There's not too many things that go on in this building that get by you." He also wondered what McClure intends to do about career service workers who were "cheated" out of retention bonuses. "We didn't cheat them out of anything," responded McClure. "That money was spent on overtime."
Although Goffredo was tough on McClure, Brown was even rougher. In his usual monotone, he called McClure's explanation a "nice fairy tale". "If you tell me that you didn't know what was going on and that the Director of Finance didn't know what was going on, then that really points to incompetence. ... I don't believe a thing you just said. I believe it's a cover-up."
At this point, McClure said Brown was "desperate" to sell the nursing home. "You ran it nearly into the ground when you were county executive." McClure said Gracedale is now a four-star home with a census over 500 and its financial position is improving. He also accused Brown of seeking the audit for political reasons. "We've been working on this for a year. It wasn't just since your politically motivated audit."
Goffredo then asked McClure why he only is sharing these problems at Gracedale now. "Why would you do this all in secrecy? ... You've never done a very good job of including us, Democrats and Republicans alike, aside from the three that you funded and gave campaign contributions to sit on this Council."
McClure explained that there were two reasons. First, a lot of what was going on involved personnel matters, which are confidential. He acknowledged that he could have asked for an executive session to discuss the matter. Second, he blamed the "constant picking at Gracedale" makes it more difficult to recruit and retain and lowers morale.
This "constant picking" is called oversight and is a Council obligation. It is nonexistent at private homes, but that's just one of many prices paid for a public nursing facility.
Goffredo then got rougher than Brown and said that a "cult of personality" surrounds McClure, and if you don't go his way, "you get shocked."
McClure: "Who got shocked because they didn't follow McClure's way? Name a name."
Goffredo: "Dertinger got shocked when he had the election issue. ... Who got shocked at Gracedale recently? Do you want to answer that question or do we have to go into executive session?"
Council member Kelly Keegan defended McClure, stated that she had listened three times to McClure's statement, made nearly a year ago at a Council committee, that retention bonuses were finished. At that time, a union contract was being discussed, and it is my understanding that McClure was referring to that bargaining unit and perhaps one other. His statement was by no means "clear," as Keegan asserted. She apparently was unaware that career service is not part of any bargaining unit, and Goffredo noted they were "screwed."
Keegan also accused Brown and Goffredo of seeking the audit before the primary in order to make either Zrinski, McClure or both look bad. "You were throwing anything up against the wall to see what would stick."
Council member Jeff Warren said that he wanted to see an audit, but that the 20-day time frame sought by Brown was politically motivated,
Council President Lori Vargo Heffner wrapped things up. She said the audit was motivated by employees reaching out to say they did not receive retention bonuses that Council had approved. Vargo Heffner also explained that she and Zrinski had agreed on a date for her appearance before Council to discuss her audit, so it was inappropriate to slam the Controller, as Goffredo and Brown did.
She then noted Council voted to approve those retention bonuses. "Moving that money without coming back to Council, not being transparent with Council over all these years, and just shifting federal money without discussing it, I'm very concerned about the status of this county. ... I don't believe you. ... This is a body that needs to do its job and it needs to be respected."
"You should stop using your gavel to undermine Gracedale," snarked McClure.
He misses the point. It is his administration's actions that has undermined the home. In the end, this is about an Executive branch in all levels of government, from local to national levels, that has simply grown too powerful. Northampton County Council must be a check on Executive overreach.
I do believe McClure's explanation, but he handled himself poorly. He screwed up and needs to acknowledge that he screwed up. But his last remark to Vargo Heffner reveals he's willing to blame everyone else but should really be looking at where he went wrong.
97 comments:
Only you and McClure himself love to peddle this transparency thing. You have carried water for him for eight years, so please don't get righteous His BS has been pointed out numerous times and you attacked the voices. This is on him. Warren was highly offended to suggest McClure bought his seat and Keegan, has no mind of her own, the administration pointed out their case talking points to her, like they did with Zirinski but Keegan is too dumb to get it straight. Gofredo was right, nothing happens without micromanager McClure knowing about it. Also, where was Barron on this? they love to dictate to council what council must do. This is entirely on McClure and Barron.
Kegan and warren made this all about politics just like McClure. WE need a new executive and council next year. These guys are more party hacks than people representatives. Shame on McClure for throwing employees under the bus. No profiles in courage with this crowd. He even blamed the press.
As a employee of the jail I know the heads of the jail have said many times they won't do the right thing because they are afraid of losing their jobs.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the original program was for bonuses to attract 54-60 new certified nurses. That was McClure’s idea and the reason the program was established.
How many new certified nurses did the program actually attract?
Bye Lamont, you sleepy liar. Good riddance to bad rubbish. I wish it was your mishandling of covid at Gracedale. But I'll take your sleeping at the wheel as the cause of your political implosion. You're a liar. Be gone from us. Resign today.
If you “believe” the explanation, what’s to apologize for ?
Lamont McClure loves Gracedale so much that he’ll even burn himself to protect it.
I am so happy to see McClure finally getting called out on his behavior and secrecy and squirming. That's really the problem, Goffredo articulated it all well: McClure treats his office like it is an autocracy, ignoring obligations and blowing off whoever doesn't toe his line. There's something to be said of strong leadership but this is not it. The fact that he tried to dump it all on the former staff and claim he didn't know was embarrassing.
If this happened, what other departments are having their dedicated funds raided to plug holes elsewhere?
I believe his explanation bc of what we all could see at Gracedale. Suddenly, the administrator was no longer the administrator. There were financial problems in 2023, which became manifest in 2024 and these were flagged in a report. We know the use of agency nurses was out of hand. But I do not accept his willingness to throw others under the bus for his own mistake, and the chief of these is that he himself attempted to hide what was going on from council. He framed Jennifer Stewart's departure as Admin and transfer to admissions as a way to build up census when he should have held an exec session and informed council. He was unnecessarily secretive about the financial mess as well. It was wasting money. He knew it had been wasting money but painted a different picture. He now is also claiming this is all political and amazingly, asserts there is too much oversight. I believe his explanation regarding what was actually going on is factually accurate. I reject his claim that there is some plot to sell the home. His claim that Brown ran Gracedale into the ground is also inaccurate. The home achieved a four-star rating under him as well, and with a much higher census. The demand for an audit in 20 days was likely politically motivated, but the demand for an audit itself was needed. Federal funds intended for retention bonuses instead became a candy store for needless overtime by career service and agency nurses. So I believe his explanation regarding the facts about what happened but not his attempts to blame everyone but himself. He screwed up and one of his biggest mistakes has been his refusal to include Council in what was happening at the home. He did not tell them that all the bonuses had ended. He was talking specifically about one or perhaps two bargaining units at the time he was asked. He never breathed a word about career service.
Amy you lost. And, by a lot. And, do you know why Amy ? You’re a loser.
Brown wants to sell Gracedale. Bernie sued the County to sell Gracedale. Brown and Bernie still want to sell Gracedale. Giovanni will sell Gracedale for Brown and Bernie.
McCon got caught with his pants down and it wasn't even close to pretty.
This will now be an issue with McClure running for election next year. Ryan will use this against him as why he should NOT be elected for congress. Best thing he could do now is withdraw from thinking about running because he'll losemany votes because of his not being transparent.
Lamount just screwed the pooch. This will cost him a great deal of votes in the congressional race. He needs to look for another line of work. Ryan is going to have a lot of fun with this.
It’s Browns fault. It’s all political. Next he’ll say it’s Trumps fault lol. The buck stops with him, but he’s very good at passing it.
It’s Mackenzie’s fault! It’s Trumps fault! It’s Bernie’s fault lol. Be a man and take some responsibility, the blame game makes you look worse Lamont.
What do we take from this story? Voters, you get what you voted for - McClure, Keegan, Warren.
Guess he will want his money back from Zrinski's campaign. He only boasts but never takes responsibility.
Typical finger pointing going on. With all this said Mcclure wants to run for higher office when he can't organize a two car parade.
Keegan and Warren defend the indefensible. They are like the MAGA cult but on the other side. If McClure dropped his pants and crapped on the podium Keegan would defend it.
Did Mackenzie vote to cut Medicare? And he’s going to use this as an issue?
Hah.
Finally the Gracedale funding and designated dollars may end up where they were intended to be. The budget line item for Gracedale should always have been bigger, but it leaked back and forth into the general funding.
I was hired many yrs ago at Gracedale. I have been saying the same thing all these yrs. “People are in positions that don’t belong there”. They are not qualified. They hire just to fill positions, pay to send the employee to be educated and certified and then they either quit, get fired or stay in the position and don’t do their jobs. The moral is terrible. The employees have not been valued since Premier Management was discontinued. The last administrator stated “Gracedale will not fail on my watch”. Look what happened. Don’t blame COVID. Blame leadership. Blame favoritism. Bring a management company back to lead Gracedale.
All of this could have been avoided by doing right for your workers. When your work force isn't happy and morale is low everyone and everything you do suffers. DO THE WAGE STUDY. You give out raises and make salary adjustments with no data to back you up. How do we know the administration is doing what is in the best interest of Gracedale by giving "BONUS'S" to retain workers when we don't even know what these people should be paid as a base salary. The morale at the COURTHOUSE is the lowest it's ever been. Start comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges and do the long overdue WAGE STUDY. You start by paying fair and competitive wages.
Good morning Carol.
McClure is an average, at best Executive, with THE WORST PERSONALITY OF ANY POLITICIAN I'VE EVER MET. Even worst than John Brown, if that's possible.
OMG, what a horrible thought!
Who would expect a lazy, shady lawyer with no ethics could do something like this to county employees and taxpayers? I'm shocked, absolutely shocked.
You're 100% correct, and btw, Keegan & Warren, dumb & dumber, are disgraceful!
Did Goffredo call someone an asshole during the committee meeting and then call Keegan honey during the council meeting?
Is this the new decorum of the Trump era??
7:57. With how much he's whining about MacKenzie out there, I swear that's all McNure thinks about, I'm surprised he didn't drag MacKenzie's name into this.
Mackenzie did not vote to cut Medicare. He voted to cut Medicaid, which provides health insurance to 71 million Americans. My understanding is that there will be work requirements for able-bodied people, and that should eliminate about 10 million from coverage. I would support such a measure as I think people who can work should do so or show that they are seeking employment.
McClure acknowledged last night that there was indeed favoritism at Gracedale.
Mary Alice may have finally achieved her long sought after goal of getting Barron fired.
It’s sad when those elected officials stop representing their constituent’s needs and start doing the bidding of their executive.
Council should have an independent auditor look at the financials at Gracedale. I would bet Zrinski didn’t list everything. She wouldn’t want to throw McClure under the bus like he did to County employees.
There is no such thing as a certified nurse
And he started it!
Don't forget BULLY (and coward of course)
McClure: "Who got shocked because they didn't follow McClure's way? Name a name."
Why don't you ask former DA Terry Houck that question. The sad part is McClure's action only potentially affected Houck in that he lost the election. However, what McClure fails to realize are his actions affect people other than those he targets, like all those employees beneath Houck. Of course, when Baratta asked for some of those very same things, they were approved on the spot! McClure's actions hurt innocent people, and unless you're in his inner circle, you lose!
The sad thing is I am a lifelong Democrat who may vote for Ryan Mackenzie because at a time the Democrats should be flourishing and taking advantage of the Republican party's missteps, they are too busy infighting, doing the wrong thing, or have moved too far to the left.
Just ask McClure how well liked he was at his former firm.
From one who has advised large businesses and public employers, the proper response in such situations, especially with public employees, is to acknowledge the mistake, that “we don’t treat our employees that way”, and fix it. Assume the coverup and blame shifting will not succeed long term. Lamont gift wrapped this one for his opponent(s).
I wonder if Jen Stewart-King will write a book after she leaves. Hmm! I’ll bet she never thought she would be the scapegoat for Lamont.
So where’s has Lamont’s bean counter Barron been the last few years? I thought he was the pinnacle of accounting lol,
And McClure wants to be a Congressman! He can’t lead the county. Throws people under the bus, blames the person no longer here. The old blame of the person that just left. He is accountable and the fact Tara can’t trace $2.6 millions shows she doesn’t belong in her position or as county executive. Scandal written all over this mess. As for Keegan, well, there’s not much you can say about a moron. She gets her talking points and even screws that up. She should just take her TDS pills and move into Gracedale.
I can see him calling Keegan an asshole, but honey, ewww.
Dems should rally on pushing McClure out. He will lose to Mackenzie in the Congressional race. McClure has consistently been failing.
Agree totally about outside audit review…she knew and her main campaign contributor knew.
This is better than the Trump-Musk Feud! 😂
Oh sweetheart you misheard. Your womanly ears are always mishearing things. Now get back into the kitchen and tend to the roast and let the men deal with manly things.
Sure you do... Don't you have an inmate to watch. Get off the blog and get back to work.
Both of you are wrong…ask Zirinski if she had knowledge of the screw up BEFORE her findings were released…
Yeah you mean registered nurse. Stick to things you know at the jail and let the smart people talk.
Hasn't that always been the way.
NO McClure no Tara, no Warren, and def NO KEEGAN, they have all lost the trust to be a public servant. Wait till Tara gets up there and attempts to explain this audit, the county exc race will be over
That is some long twisted and turned logic.
Carol and or Susan... Lamont showed he controls the electorate. Please let the men do the important work here.
It started long before Lamont.
Bill Clinton 1996: "The era of big government is over." Able bodied people living free off the government, should be required to work. It's sad how far our Party has drifted away from common sense.
His clients loved him.
Again, McCluless is an average, at best Executive, with the worst possible personality. He never takes responsibility for his mistakes.
I went back and listened again. He may have called Keegan "honey" when hey were going back and forth. If he did, that is both condescending and patriarchal. I did not hear him use the word "asshole." I did mishear what he said about what happens to people who get on McClure's wrong side. I thought he said "shocked," but he actually said "chopped."
9:35 and 12:35 - Allow me to clarify so your little brains can follow it: certified nurse’s aid.
Per McClure himself in a previous post by Bernie on this blog:
"If you're a CNA [certified nurse's aid] within the sound of my voice, it would be a really good time to come to Gracedale," he said at the time, and repeated it several times.
Stop dodging the question. How many of the 54-60 the bonuses were supposed to attract did the bonuses ACTUALLY attract?
Since it seems that people are going out of their way to avoid answering this question, I’ll ask it again since it’s already buried in the earlier comments.
In an earlier post this week, Bernie wrote:
———————————————————-
“McClure had told Council that the administration would pay all employees at Gracedale an annual $2,500 bonus over a period of four years to bring in 54-60 additional nursing staff and enable the nursing home to provide the required nursing care needed at the facility.
"If you're a CNA [certified nurse's aid] within the sound of my voice, it would be a really good time to come to Gracedale," he said at the time, and repeated it several times. “
——————————————————————-
So how many of the 54-60 were actually hired?
This shouldn’t be a difficult question, unless
the program was a colossal failure and the Administration is attempting to hide that fact.
That’s funny! Democrat infighting while juveniles Trump and Musk engage in a social media war?
McLiar gladly tosses people to protect himself.
I'm unable to answer this question, but it will be asked.
You can tell he's lazy, just by looking at him- and he's always been shady.
Keegan just needs to go away- along with the other useless council member Warren.
Zrinski, Keegan & Warren- the latest version of the 3 stooges.
Where there's smoke, there's fire. It was just a matter of time, before the sleezy McClure would be exposed.
This would never have happened with Wayne Grube and Ron Angle on council. They did their homework and would have followed and asked questions about this appropriation.
Well Keegan is an asshole, but you should always try to have decorum lol.
These days, this is the least of our problems.
Just need to say that for an attorney who specialized in workman’s comp cases and asbestos , he certainly should have had some insight on handling the worker’s needs and navigating the paths to get the money where it was needed.
Why is this just coming to light now? Does Zrinski investigate and/or audit:
1) What she's ordered to do by council or the executive (and which, if either)?
2) A list of things which are standard county requirements?
3) Whatever she deems necessary to monitor proper stewardship of funds?
4) All of the above?
5) Other?
Steve?
There is and always has been a work requirement for medicaid and income and financial resources are subject to a 5 year look back.. in some instances benefits may be subject to repayment. Family members income and property may also be considered for the recipients eligibility. An exception is made for mothers with children under 6 years old as to the work requirement. Not to mention not all doctors will accept medicaid. Not where you want to end up but glad it exists so the sick are not dying on the streets. It actually saves taxpayer money in the long run.
Everyone should fast forward through Don Cunningham and then watch the McClure presentation at the June 5, 2025 meeting. Hats off to John Goffredo
and John Brown. Kelli Keegan has no
idea that career service is not union. New guy Jeff is just flustered and clueless. Nice closing Lori. Can’t wait to hear what Tara has to say,
Unfortunately for Lamont the employees knew basic arithmetic that a mere $2,500 annual bonus on top of substandard wages = substandard wages. The rest of the Valley’s healthcare workforce knew that as well. I am wondering how many nursing recruits join the team with this wonderful pr?
Bernie, is the children’s daycare in operation at the nursing home? If so, can we expect a council report on its performance and an estimate on its impact on nursing recruiting? Hopefully it is positive. All the news about the home has been negative and I hear they still do good things there. Where the heck would all these low income folks go without the services at the home? Why can’t we promote everything good about this place? Do we have a marketing department there? Why does the executive solely dominate the messaging and pr? He may be the problem. Why is the former director the scapegoat?
Yes, sell this old white elephant once and for all, and put the property back on the tax rolls!
Four questions:
1. How many new Gracedale hires were there?
2. Where was the money moved?
3. Who made the decision where it went?
4. Did Zirinski/McClure know before the audit?
The McClure/Zrinski years will go down as the most irresponsible and shady period in the county's financial history. Voters should render harsh verdicts on these two sleazes at the first opportunity.
McClure doesn’t make it past the primary.
Sounds like misappropriation of funds. Council should insist he resign or take steps to remove McClure from his elected position. Can’t be trusted.
Do you mean the part where Goffredo and Brown defend rampant OT abuse ?
I was told the daycare is still not up and open and there is not an answer. Didn’t they approve rescue funds to to make and open this daycare. There must be more money “missing “ or one could say “spent”
That daycare has been on the table for years. It should have been done early on to incentivize the numerous single parents and others who worked double shifts and more when asked to do the hours.
It has been the downfall of the administrators/councils that they drag their feet, and lose opportunities to create better working atmospheres to retain workers, but they fail. Awhile back, Kraft tabled and lost the chance to give the council and county a chance to create the tax free 501C3 donation for Gracedale resolution, but he killed it…it’s what they do.
McClure posts constantly all day about Mackenzie on his personal social media. Including during business hours. Probably a staffer but still, it's incessant.
Marketing Dept.? How when they cannot run the operation without using funds that were not meant for Gracedale!!
Maybe someone should ask for a list of all the Career Service positions, including department heads, that weren’t filled over the past 4 years and for how long each remained vacant. The employees that stepped up to the plate and took on additional responsibilities without complaining and without any compensation, to help fill the voids, are entitled to overtime! The amount of money saved in both salaries and benefits each time the positions were vacant far exceeds what was paid in overtime!!
Add to that list those that were not qualified but were hired to just fill positions. Add also those that the county paid to train and get certified. Add those that were hired then quit, got fired or are still there doing nothing. The previous administrator is still employed by the county. Why hasn’t she been directed to go to a council meeting to be questioned as to what occurred. She should be able to answer all financial and staffing questions.
The last 2 administrators and assistant administrators received their NHA credentials on the county’s dime. Look into how long they lasted in those roles and how much it cost? No accountability. The county can’t get the best of the best employees because of low starting wages. So it ends up costing more in the long run.
Hired is one thing. How long did they stay?
It's a shame, because Gracedale is a good idea and good work is being done there. But McClure's management style and leadership skills are toxic. His flagship topics have been land preservation and Gracedale. But he just champions these things cynically, or at least appears to do so. Gracedale funds mixed up, the farmland director resigning suddenly, borked elections, ruining the partnership with the conservation department, staff morale in the gutter and afraid for their jobs across the board. It's all a result of McClure operating in secrecy and playing petty power games. To what end? It's not serving the citizens of the County.
The "Big Boss" McClure knows nothing, The Financial brain of the county Barron knows nothing, the best Controller ever Zirinski was a no show and somehow this is all employees and county council's fault. This is what happens when you have no real media coverage. The newspapers are gone and other than putting out the McClure press releases; he can and do what he wants with no consequences. This is eight years of unbridled ambition, deceptions and narcissism.
Mr. McClure even though you bought three council members who see their duty as putting you above the interests of the residents, you should be ashamed. It is not that council asks questions about the Nursing Home; it is that they do not ask enough about it. council has to investigate the investigators and assure the residents and families that they are safe and secure, despite the McClure and Zirinski campaign machines. The lack of transparency is mind boggling.
McCluless, Barron, and Zrinski need to be investigated- now! Something just isn't adding up, and it's been that way for almost 8 years now.
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