Scottsboro City Hall (photo by G. Morgan)
Update-February 15, 2016: Office Manager has been an arrested in the Scottsboro Rec-Com missing cash case. Warrant was issued and an arrest was made today. Link to Rec-Com personnel http://www.cityofscottsboro.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=123
It is important to remember this employee is innocent until proven guilty.
“It was the same employee during both of these transactions, and the employee’s name came up to us when we were made aware that cash transactions were occurring and no receipts were being received,” Dohring says.
Here's the problem folks, the bottom line explained at the beginning.
This business with the "Mayor's Pet employees" and unfair application of policy is coming home to roost. Many employees are upset with him. Unfortunately there is no outlet for them in this case. The mayor rules with threats in the creation of an atmosphere of fear; instead of leading with good sense and leadership/management skill. There is also a communications issue which has been discussed previously with the mayor regarding lateral communications with employees.
Informant 1 -I was accused of domestic violence, the police were called, there was an argument, there were no blows exchanged, there was stress in our family. There were no formal charges, the case was dismissed. But that did not stop our Mayor from threatening me. He placed negative personnel actions into my personnel file, although he was advised against this action, all because I have not supported him politically. I know other city employees were not punished for the same actions.
Informant 2 - There was an attempt to punish me for failing to handle cash properly. However, the problem was not on me, there was a thief who was prosecuted for stealing cash. The City had no cash control policy - however, since the mayor and the person responsible for cash control were friends nothing was done about his negligence. I became a scapegoat for the "good ole boys club." Rumors were circulated, my name was run through the mud, just as he has done against other females. But things did not work out so well for the mayor regarding my situation. The city had to pay me full restitution for their wrongful actions.Update on cash control, see Informant 8 below.
(*correction) Informant 3 ( non-city employee) - Our ball teams payed money to play on the Scottsboro City Ball Fields. We were not able to complete our season. Although we complained, nothing was done to make it right, we did not complete our season due to the *Athletic Director's neglect. (Originally it was stated Field Director, it has been pointed out this is incorrect, the problem was the athletic director, another friend of the mayor who seems to do no wrong in the face of problems.) See update, Informant 8 below.
Informant 4 - My supervisor, a department head, carries brass knucles in his vehicle, I and others have seen them. He uses this weapon as a intimidation tool. Saying, "I'll take care of you if you do not do as I say." Or another one of his favorite things is to show his brass knuckles and say, "I'll whip his ass if he does this again." hitting his fist in his palm with his weapon. He has been doing this for years, the mayor has been made aware of this but because they are friends nothing is ever done about this.
Informant 5 & 6 - Job descriptions were re-written specially for some department heads. Although these department heads were not initially qualified for the position, because they were the mayor's friend, the job description was written specifically or changed specifically for them.
Informant 7 - The situation with women and how the mayor treats women is awful. I mean everyone knows about the current HR Director but do you know about the past HR Director? Yeah, he let her and the previous City Clerk go. Well, they retired because he threatened them. Oh, and there is one lady that has been with the city for years. Her department head has not evaluated her the last couple years. I heard HR notified the department head and mayor time after time about it but nothing was done. I guess because the department head is the mayor's best friend. Well best friend for now. If the mayor is not reelected the finance director will drop him like a hot potato.
Informant 8 - update - cash control - There was an earlier report regarding a loss of cash, within the past 2 weeks, at the Recreation Center, under $100.00. It is unknown if this is a continuous problem or an isolated incident. The police had been involved in investigating this information.
My comments and Informant 9 - I was first informed of a cash control problem at the Rec Com and the the possibility of theft of cash as it was mentioned that there are times when cash is left sitting around and that there was lacking control over cash. Informant 8 and 9 has made me aware of a previous issue at the Rec Com regarding cash control. It has been reported that the same issue was apparent during the time when Mayor Deason was Mayor. The ABI were called to investigate, but there was insufficient documentation as to cash control to pursue an more thorough investigation.
Fair Use for non-profit news reporting and commentary
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Fair Use for non-profit news and commentary
My comments: It is my opinion that there is a valid concern regarding active sexual discrimination carried forth by the Scottsboro City Mayor against various female employees of the City of Scottsboro. Interviews have revealed a historical pattern of discriminatory practices by the Mayor and other male employee department heads where he is the direct supervisor.
There is a continuous historical problem regarding Scottsboro's Personnel Evaluation System, it is outdated and does not reflect a current professional Objective System of Contractual, Measurable Performance Standards.
The citizens of Scottsboro paid a large amount of money to an investigator several years ago in a previous personnel related issue. That issue and the subsequent hearing filled the Goosepond Civic Center. The personnel specialist's recommendation was for the City of Scottsboro to immediately implement a system of Objective, Measurable Performance Standards Evaluation System. Every mayor since Louis Price has been advised to improve the personnel performance apraisal system to reflect an objective system of measurable performance standards. There is only one reason the political powers within the City of Scottsboro will not implement an objective, professional, measurable system of performance evaluations. The want for personal control instead of implementing the need for a fair, objective system of performance appraisals.
My opinions regarding personnel and discrimination are based on education and experience as a Department of Defense Race Relations Equal Opportunity Management Specialist within Department of the Army, now retired, and being a first line and a mid-level supervisor in the Federal Personnel Management System within the Army Medical Department, receiving many, many hours of personnel management education from the Department of the Army, Federal Office of Personnel Management, University of Michigan, University of Florida and a graduate of Baylor University.
Regarding Sexual Harassment/Gender Discrimination, information regarding complaints etc. may be found on this previous posting http://arklite.blogspot.com/2015/11/requirement-of-private-investigators.html
11 comments:
Thank you for keeping the City informed Garry. It is good to know that more informants are coming forward. I would imagine (all) City employees have some form of ethics training, and sign a document showing they have received such training (?). Sexual harassment, in the workplace, should never be tolerated. The threat of physical violence, by a supervisor, should be reported to our local police department. This mayor is out of control.
If an "informant" is not under oath or willing to sign their name to a comment, it means nothing except that you spread innuendo and very possible self-serving lies. How you link so many things to a single article of theft is baffling that people just swallow these diatribes.
Also, your qualifications as you state of your experience does not at all qualify you to criticize no more than the gal working at dollar general. Your opinions are equal and are that opinions. Report factual news, cool. That's very helpful. But to make leaps from fact to just pure speculation, you are borderline out there. You seem so hung up on these manhunt that any potential negative "informant" statement or news articles is just fodder for whatever agenda you are pushing. All I am saying is people should form their own opinions instead of taking these one sided "reports" as gospel or 100% based on fact. Lastly, shame on you for stating the entire Christian thing, bible thing, flaunting your Army work AS justification that your words make you right. Use your head people.
There is no Check and Balance System within the Spending of the Cities Money, This is how it was told to me, Each and Every Department head can spend up to $2999.99 without a Purchase Order or requiring a Bid from at least 3 suppliers anything over $3000.00 supposedly requires at Bid from at least 3 suppliers, in order to get around this policy the Department head will purchase materials required for One project by ordering materials in a series of purchases as long as the invoice does not exceed $2999.99 no purchase order is required ! Should a department have a major project, but only want to purchase from their favorite supplier The Department Heads simply do this, for instance the estimated cost of a project for materials is $7000.00 dollars the Department and the Supplier create a series of Invoices, First Invoice totals $2999.99, Second Invoice $2999.99 Third Invoice $1000.02 This way the Department Head
does not have to request a Purchase order and is not Required to take bids from different supplier !
To the anonymous poster that says education and experience makes no qualification. To you maybe, but then again, you are an anonymous poster who does not know what they are talking about. I state my qualifications within and in my profile. I understand your point, there is no point.
When an individual, two or three come to me and say there is a problem, I listen, I ask questions and if their stories can be confirmed, I write about them. I have discussed communications and the current personnel situation with the mayors and city council, your anonymous comments do not change fact, nor the standards in which leaders/managers of the peoples business facilitate good governance and conduct themselves. If only some in Scottsboro leadership positions would lead instead of being the status-quo politician we would be much better off, that is an opinion based on years of leadership experience and education. Plus the years of studying and following Scottsboro politics. Experiance and knowledge does make a difference. Whether you agree or disagree with my opinions, facts as I have presented them and the information gathered, that is your choice.
Whatever you are talking about regarding the Bible I have no idea, you will have to be more specific. Army work you say, obviously you have no idea what it means to serve your nation and the experience and education one receives.
There is much more I could write about, but due to a lack of confirmation I do not. All of that said, thank you for reading my stories and your comments.
Additionally, and this is important - The reason the informants are anonymous is due to their fear of actions which would probably be taken against them. I'll tell you as I have told others, it is my opinion that discriminatory action has taken place pointed specifically at female personnel working in the City of Scottsboro, that is an opinion based on education and experiance. It is a fact that I have strongly encouraged the female personnel discriminated against to take action by filing specific complaints with the Federal EEOC regarding specific issues of discriminatory actions. Whether those who have been discriminated against do so is entirely up to them, just as it is entirely up to me to write about the discriminatory action of Scottsboro's leadership described to me and confirmed. Like it or not, that is the way it is "In the 'boro."
I have worked at the Rec-Com for the past several years and anyone who comes in should know if they want a receipt then they should in fact ask for one. Most people come in paying $2-$5 in cash to walk the track, play basketball, swim, play racquetball, or use our fitness room and it is pointless to write them a receipt unless they ask for it. You need to get the "facts" you are putting out here straight because you obviously have no clue what you are talking about. Just like when you go to McDonald's, or any other food establishment, if you do not receive a receipt you ASK for one. The reason we "leave" cash out of our cash register is so that our receipt does not end up being 10 miles long at the end of the day when close up. You obviously have a problem since you have nothing better to do with your life than to sit around writing untrue "facts" about the city of Scottsboro. People in this town need to learn to grow up. There is more than just this small town in the world and things are a lot worse in other places. If you have a problem with where you work or the people you work for and nothing is happening to help you with your problems there then LEAVE!! Stop acting like children and crying about everything and learn to deal with your problems.
Actually, Mr. or Ms Anonymous, any money received from a person or entity by the RecCom or any other city department, is supposed to receive a receipt issued. Are you telling me that it is the policy of the RecCom to not issue receipts if a person or entity does not request a receipt? And who might you be? It sounds as if you are attempting to justify a failure to control cash being taken into the RecCom.
Untrue facts? If you are an employee of the RecCom you just confirmed the problem, a lack of cash control. Regarding your other problems, reference narrow minded view and leaving town, no thank you.
Thank you for reading and explaining the problem at the RecCom, if you work there.
I visit the RecCom 3-5 times a week. I can't see most people who are paying the daily entry fee being interested in getting a receipt for 2 to 5 dollars. If it was important for every transaction to produce a receipt then the front desk should be equipped with a regular cash register. If someone is paying more, like for a monthly or annual membership, deposit for room rental, etc. I would expect them to want a receipt and for it to be automatically offered. It is a little disappointing that the police spokesperson did not say the amounts the two test purchasers made. It seems like the amounts must be less than annual or monthly membership as that would be entered in the computer record.
All money, whether it a nickel or a hundred dollars must be accounted for and a receipt issued. A cash register should be up front, where is it at. At one time I thought I remember seeing one. If there is not one, get one, now!
I was most likely mistaken about no cash register. There was one at the desk this a.m. I had mostly noticed the computer monitor at the desk.
While it makes sense to offer receipts, none are given at the snack bars at the soccer fields and I don't think at the baseball and softball fields either.
My apologies if I have inadvertently removed a post. There was an attempt to fill the blog posting with one word or meaningless statements, there were over 25 of them. Those postings were removed. There was also an unwanted html code in the meaningless statements postings.
About the cash register, it is at the Rec Com, what was not accomplished was the issuing of receipts. Hopefully this problem is now resolved. There should be cash registers at all ball field concessions if the Rec Com is running the concession. A suggestion might be for a contractor to operate the concessions and the Rec Com receive a percentage of the income.
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