Credit Card Fraud Prompts Call For Public Hearing

While this is a valid topic, why is no one looking at LCI's practices re: the ownership and sale of properties. The need for transparency is glaring.

How about going out to the parking lot and checking employee vehicles in the to see if there's a nap blankey on the passenger seat?

A hearing is unnecessary. Do a public information request for the policies and procedures of the city regarding credit card issuance and use and a list of current card holders, balances, etc.. Stop the political grandstanding and hand wringing. The City's Aldermen and women should not waste their time trying to micromanage the Mayor's office of the administrative departments of the city. This was an isolated incident of employee theft, not a city wide fraud and embezzlement ring, let's move on.

Atwater, a hearing could be used for grandstanding. But properly conducted, it could be productive. There is no reason why the information request you describe couldn't precede the hearing. The alders could then question the relevant city officials about credit card practices and policies. The hearing could also be used to raise the larger transparency issues that Patricia notes.

Kevin McCarthy: To what end? All the information the Board might need/want can be obtained from a public information request. A public hearing would be superfluous. What would questioning city officials accomplish? Absolutely nothing. It would just produce the same answers already known from the documents. The point is, transparency already exists and the methods of redress exist as well. Public hearings at the municipal level do nothing but provide a venue for publicity. Public hearings at every level are nothing more than political theater. The answers already known, the questions have been rehearsed and the outcome is predictable.

If there is a genuine concern about fraud or embezzlement then the Aldermen and women can make a complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice and the State Police.

@Atwater
How do you know it was an " isolated incident of employee theft" ? It is still being investigated and the whole matter underscores the inept financial and managerial leadership from the mayors office.
These two Alders are the only ones asking tough fiscal questions and I applaud their efforts.
Thank you Ms Roth and Festa!

Most employers put a spending limit on business credit cards to avoid just this sort of alleged embezzlement. Let's make this happen, New Haven.

Much ado about nothing. Well, not nothing, a city employee allegedly stole money. As far as we know, this was an isolated incident. To say that it underscores financial mismanagement is ridiculous. What this incident shows is that some people steal, which shouldn't be news to anyone.

There is a case to be made for poor city management, but this is not an example of that, nor should it be cast as such. Instead the Aldermen and women should focus on over-spending of public money, investment in infrastructure (as much as the city can), PILOT reimbursements, property tax abatement, public safety spending, public education spending and improvement, regionalization efforts, etc. So, have hearings on those issues, call in city leaders to account for their work and their mistakes, come up with creative solutions and really make an effort to improve the City's government. Do not waste the time and money to have a hearing about an incident of employee theft.

Good Luck getting the Mayor's credit card.....

To Atwater: Can you 💯 % say it's not happening by others in other departments? If one had the balls to do it I'm sure others could have also.if the board of Alders requested and audit they can be the judge of that..It's not grandstanding when people voted you in and you suppose to have their best interest at heart.

Southwest: The Alderwomen did not request an audit, they're calling for a hearing. Those are two very different things. An audit is relatively inexpensive and less time consuming than a public hearing. I'm all for an audit, as per my previous comments, a Public Information request would be sufficient in getting the documents, lists and records the Board needs. Again, if there is legitimate suspicion and evidence of further embezzlement the authorities should be called to investigate. Leave the police work to the police departments.

You can say what you want about Mayor Harp and her administration, but they're not crooks and they have not done anything to show us they are. City mismanagement, as bad as it is, is not illegal. These Alderwomen seem to want to paint Mayor Harp and her administration as untrustworthy and even complicit in the embezzlement. Their suspicion is unwarranted and politically motivated.

@Bill Saunders: a simple FOIA request to the City will get you access to public records of all kinds. A credit card for City related expenses should be a public record.
Start writing.