{"id":1316,"date":"2016-05-17T08:44:46","date_gmt":"2016-05-17T13:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1316"},"modified":"2016-05-17T08:47:29","modified_gmt":"2016-05-17T13:47:29","slug":"kanter-and-the-finance-committee-circumventing-addisons-charter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1316","title":{"rendered":"Kanter and the Finance Committee: Circumventing Addison\u2019s Charter"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Kanter and the Finance Committee:<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Circumventing Addison\u2019s Charter<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>By Susan M. Halpern<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Former Addison Councilmember (1992-1999)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>While Addison continues to conceal key documents relating to Larry Kanter, the documents they did produce validate many of the concerns about which I\u2019ve written. We now have evidence of the willingness of Meier and his cadre to circumvent our Charter\u2019s unequivocal prohibition against the council directing the day-to-day affairs of our Town.\u00a0 In this instance, the mechanism had two key components.\u00a0 First, by inserting Kanter into the mix, Meier and his group established a path to direct interaction with employees.\u00a0 Second, by establishing the Finance Committee and then placing supervision of Kanter at that level, they avoided the scrutiny of the council and the public.\u00a0 Let\u2019s talk about it.<\/p>\n<p>To start, we have a City Manager\/Council form of government. That means that the council sets policy and that policy is carried out by the professional staff (not by the council).\u00a0 Our Charter is very specific in setting the boundaries of these roles:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The City Manager is responsible for \u201cadminister[ing] the government of the Town.\u201d Charter, \u00a71.03.<\/li>\n<li>\u201c[T]he Council shall deal with the administrative departments and personnel <strong>solely through the City Manager, and no member of the Council shall give directives to any subordinate of the City Manager, either publicly or privately<\/strong>.\u201d Charter, \u00a72.09 (emphasis added).<\/li>\n<li><strong>The mayor \u201cshall have no administrative duties.\u201d<\/strong> Charter \u00a72.06 (emphasis added).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These provisions make clear that Meier has \u201cno administrative duties,\u201d and that he cannot \u201cgive directives to any subordinate of the City Manager, either publicly or privately.\u201d It has been clear to many of us for a long time that Meier has been unwilling to accept these limitations.\u00a0 During the past five years, and the last two in particular, we have seen meddling and micromanagement that is clearly inconsistent with our Charter, and unhealthy for our Town.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what I discovered in the documents I\u2019ve reviewed. First, sometime prior to the 2014 election, Meier convinced the council to create a \u201cFinance Committee\u201d (despite hours of searching, I haven\u2019t found information about this committee on Addison\u2019s website).\u00a0 It appears that the meetings of the Finance Committee aren\u2019t publicly noticed and there are no minutes to reflect its activities.\u00a0 I also found nothing to define its purpose or power.\u00a0 The initial committee consisted of Meier, his staunch ally Blake Clemens, and Chris DeFrancisco. They appointed three councilmembers because four is a quorum, which would have required public notices and meetings, i.e., transparency.\u00a0 Clearly, transparency wasn\u2019t the point here.\u00a0 So, they kept it at three, with Meier and Clemens controlling the vote.\u00a0 That made DeFrancisco irrelevant.<\/p>\n<p>Think about the issues such a setup creates. First, the council has oversight responsibility for the Town\u2019s finances.\u00a0 That\u2019s seven people.\u00a0 They need four to act.\u00a0 But here, it took only two votes to act.\u00a0 As well, the council had no visibility to the committee\u2019s meetings.\u00a0 Oh sure, they received \u201creports\u201d from time to time, but that meant that the council as a whole heard what Meier wanted them to hear, and no more.\u00a0 The same can be said for the public, which had no way of knowing what was happening at the Finance Committee.\u00a0 Add to all that the lack of parameters for the committee\u2019s power, and it isn\u2019t hard to conclude that its existence compromised important checks and balances that are inherent in requiring public discussions and four votes for action.<\/p>\n<p>The whole thing was a carte blanche for Meier, and the lack of transparency made Kanter\u2019s politically-motivated work possible. And of course, Kanter was the guy for the job.\u00a0 Consider that he was hired at Meier\u2019s suggestion, and without any process.\u00a0 Addison never published a request for proposal, and defined no real work scope.\u00a0 Ultimately, we all witnessed Kanter\u2019s willingness to abandon applicable AICPA standards of objectivity and impartiality in order to help Meier\u2019s recent campaign.\u00a0 We watched Kanter do Meier\u2019s bidding, wrongfully disparaging prior staff and management, telling an inflammatory, one-sided story. And of course, Meier did his part by ensuring the concealment of key documents that would refute Kanter\u2019s claims.\u00a0 It was a political hatchet job from the start, and Kanter swung the axe on cue for Meier\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Kanter also provided Meier with the access to the staff and daily operations that Meier craved. And, since his work was supervised and directed by the Finance Committee, Meier effectively gained some measure of operational control regarding the Town\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n<p>Presto. Circumvention of the Charter.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s return now to the documents that confirm all this. On September 11, 2014, Kanter wrote an email to Meier, Clemens and DeFrancisco, describing a meeting he had with then-CFO Eric Cannon.\u00a0 Kanter informed the group that Cannon had offered employment to a candidate who was not a CPA, but who was still sitting for the CPA exam.\u00a0 The next day, Clemens replied all: \u201cI thought we agreed that whomever Eric chooses that they have both a CPA certificate and a good level of experience (govt accounting experience is not a requirement).\u201d\u00a0 16 minutes later, Meier replied: \u201cNo Blake, that is exactly how I recall it.\u00a0 Do you think we need to have a Finance Committee meeting and include Lea [Dunn]?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And there it is, in black and white: \u201cI thought we agreed\u201d and \u201cthat is exactly how I recall it.\u201d They are directing who Cannon can and cannot hire, which is a clear violation of the Charter:<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<strong>[N]o member of the Council shall give directives to any subordinate of the City Manager, either publicly or privately.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And here\u2019s the other stunning part of this exchange: the Charter expressly requires the council to deal exclusively with the City Manager. And yet, here is Meier asking whether City Manager Lea Dunn<em> should even be included <\/em>in a proposed Finance Committee meeting to discuss who Eric Cannon is choosing to hire.\u00a0 They are clearly circumventing the Charter.\u00a0 And, by the way, how exactly was Lea Dunn ever supposed to do her job with this type of nonsense going on?\u00a0 They were undermining Lea at every turn. \u00a0And, you see how Kanter caused such problems for Addison.<\/p>\n<p>The documents also show what appears to be Meier reviewing and approving payment of at least one Kanter invoice. Here is Meier\u2019s signature, circling the sum due and writing: \u201cOK Todd Meier 5\/26\/14:\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?attachment_id=1320#main\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-1320\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1320\" src=\"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Kanter-and-the-Finance-Committee.jpg\" alt=\"Kanter and the Finance Committee\" width=\"627\" height=\"138\" srcset=\"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Kanter-and-the-Finance-Committee.jpg 627w, http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Kanter-and-the-Finance-Committee-300x66.jpg 300w, http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Kanter-and-the-Finance-Committee-600x132.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 627px) 100vw, 627px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Approving bills for Town consultants is not the job of the mayor or the council. Consider the lack of transparency and controls, as Meier approves the expenditure of our taxpayer money for Kanter\u2019s politically-motivated work.\u00a0 Oh sure, the council set outside limits regarding how much could be spent, but who on the council was given the opportunity to examine the bills to see what it was that Kanter was actually doing at any point in time?\u00a0 How ironic, given Kanter\u2019s many attacks on Addison\u2019s processes, and his false claims of a lack of controls.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the last thing. I have talked often about Lea Dunn\u2019s January 15, 2015, 19-page memo that Addison continues to conceal, and that I believe will refute Kanter\u2019s inflammatory accusations.\u00a0 The information I\u2019m now receiving is that Lea\u2019s memo was sent to the Finance Committee, <strong><em>and it died there<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 It was not forwarded to the council, so councilmembers not on the Finance Committee didn\u2019t hear Lea\u2019s detailed perspective about all the problems Kanter was causing with the staff.\u00a0 It was just another manipulation by leadership determined to force Lea Dunn out.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s exactly the problem with setting two or three people up to filter such politically-charged information: they make politically-motivated decisions. In this case, the decision to keep Lea Dunn\u2019s memo under wraps was part of what made Kanter\u2019s inflammatory, one-sided presentations possible in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>To say that this isn\u2019t transparency is an understatement. The Finance Committee was effectively a mini-council of sorts that directed Kanter\u2019s work and, apparently, at least some work performed by Addison\u2019s staff.\u00a0 In at least two instances, it appears that Meier and others circumvented our Charter and inserted themselves into the day-to-day workings of the Town.\u00a0 And here\u2019s the thing: If that\u2019s what\u2019s in the documents Addison did produce, one can only imagine what\u2019s in the documents Addison is fighting to conceal.<\/p>\n<p>I am hopeful that the new council will pull back the veil of secrecy that now exists, including by releasing Lea Dunn\u2019s memo and other documents responsive to my Open Records Act request. And, I\u2019m hopeful that they will take appropriate steps to bring ALL business of our Town back to the <em>entire<\/em> council and thereby to the public.\u00a0 That\u2019s what transparency is about, and I for one am looking forward to its return.<\/p>\n<p><div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<script>(function(d, s, id) {\n  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;\n  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n  js.src = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_GB\/all.js#xfbml=1\";\n  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n}(document, \"script\", \"facebook-jssdk\"));<\/script>\n<fb:share-button href=\"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1316\" type=\"button_count\"\nstyle=\"padding-top:0px;\r\npadding-right:0px;\r\npadding-bottom:0px;\r\npadding-left:0px;\r\nmargin-top:0px;\r\nmargin-right:0px;\r\nmargin-bottom:0px;\r\nmargin-left:0px;\r\n\">\n<\/fb:share-button><div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<script>(function(d, s, id) {\n  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;\n  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n  js.src = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_GB\/all.js#xfbml=1\";\n  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n}(document, \"script\", \"facebook-jssdk\"));<\/script>\n<fb:like href=\"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1316\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" layout=\"standard\" send=\"0\" width=\"\"  colorscheme=\"light\" show_faces=\"0\"  style=\"background:#FFFFFF;padding-top:0px;\r\npadding-right:0px;\r\npadding-bottom:0px;\r\npadding-left:0px;\r\nmargin-top:0px;\r\nmargin-right:0px;\r\nmargin-bottom:0px;\r\nmargin-left:0px;\r\n\"><\/fb:like><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kanter and the Finance Committee: Circumventing Addison\u2019s Charter By Susan M. Halpern Former Addison Councilmember (1992-1999) While Addison continues to conceal key documents relating to Larry Kanter, the documents they did produce validate many of the concerns about which I\u2019ve &#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1316\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1316","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1316"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1321,"href":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1316\/revisions\/1321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}