The council discussed the report in closed session before the public meeting Monday. The final report will include recommendations for council action.
The governing body invoked its investigative powers under the city's special charter after failing to receive answers from the administration regarding use of $20,000 in public funds for an Aug. 1, 2010 "Town Meeting" broadcast live on WBLS. The report is from attorney Ramon Rivera, hired by the council to conduct the investigation, which included three hearings with testimony from top officials. Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, who contends a bank's donation of $15,000 largely repaid the WBLS bill, also hired her own attorney.
The administration and some council members have challenged the cost of hiring Rivera, but McWilliams said the investigation is relevant to how the city handles all of its funding. At an Oct. 19 hearing, the mayor said she sought a $20,000 check on the Friday before the Sunday radio show because it was an "emergency." The funds came from a budget line for "hardware and software maintenance." Click here for Plaintalker's full report on the Oct. 19 session.
For more on the genesis of the investigation, click here.
--Bernice
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