WBLS Costs: Just the Facts, Please

Plaintalker's OPRA request on the Aug. 1, 2010 WBLS "town meeting" turned up not only proof of a $20,000 check for that event, but also $2,500 paid for a "street team" appearance on July 2, 2010 and another $2,500 for a "van appearance" in the July 3 parade (yes, folks, the July 4 parade was on July 3).

On Monday, speakers including the mayor characterized the $20,000 cost as really being just $5,700. First, mayoral advocate Roland Muhammad said so, then the mayor repeated the amount. Later, she said it was actually $5,791. There was a $15,000 donation that reduced the actual cost, the mayor said.

The point of repeating the $5,700 or so was to criticize the hiring of an attorney to investigate the process whereby the money was spent.

Plaintalker does not have a scanner, but according to the document pictured above, the first $2,500 came from "General Imp (sic) Ordinance 1237." The second $2,500 was chalked up to an account for "Outside Consulting Services." The $25,000 came, as Plaintalker has previously noted, from an account for "Hardware & Software Maintenance."

On the surface, it certainly looks like a bit of creative accounting. But then there was the donation to offset the Aug. 1 costs. The mayor was asked who donated the money, but did not identify a donor. After the meeting, this writer asked Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson how such donations are handled in the budget. The answer was they would go into the general fund. As I recall, Williamson was not able to say whether such a check would be specifically listed as an item of revenue.

Among other zingers tossed out about the impending investigation, Councilman William Reid speculated that the term "initial" in the resolution to hire the attorney meant there would be further costs. Reid said the attorney would have subpoena powers, but questioned the possibility of further expense if former city administrator Bibi Taylor or the mayor refused to respond.

"We need to investigate and get it out of the way," Reid said, "but let's do it right."

He did not explain what the right way would be.

Councilwoman Vera Greaves asked whether the mayor would also get an attorney , but Council President Annie McWilliams said the mayor had her own account and could decide how to spend her funds.

"But it's still the taxpayers' money," Reid said.

In other objections to the proposed investigation, Muhammad alluded to money spent on "piping" that was bought but not used and expenses for a "friendship train" on which participants "got drunk." Reid talked about a visioning study authorized by the council at a cost of $80,000, with an additional $16,000 approved later, characterizing both as "giving our money away."

Cryptic kitchen-sink arguments notwithstanding, the council voted 4-2 to hire attorney Ramon Rivera for what McWilliams characterized as "a first look to fact-find and fact-check."

McWilliams, Adrian Mapp, Cory Storch and Rebecca Williams voted "yes" and Reid and Greaves voted "no." Bridget Rivers was absent.

Plaintalker's OPRA request came about after a commenter on the blog challenged me to find out how much the event cost. I answered that the commenter could just as well file an OPRA request, but mine would include the following:

COST OF AUG. 1 TOWN MEETING, including school rental, speakers’ honorariums or fees, security, setup, including WBLS requirements, cost of videographing, food and supplies, plus any other incidentals

That was my request on Aug. 2. Several weeks later, I received a partial response which included documentation of the WBLS checks and accounts from which they were paid. The whys and wherefores, as well as any other possible expenses, remain to be explained.

--Bernice Paglia