EAST CLEVELAND TATTLER

September Issue Number 23, September 2012 eastcle lev get you Send an email to eastclevelandleaks@gmail.com to get the Tattler emailed to you

FINANCE DIRECTOR QUITS!

Pressure of dealing with a lying and incompetent mayor, an $8 million deficit, bad legal advice, a legal fight with council, and growing evidence of corruption and theft in office became too much for East Clevelands ex-finance director
By CLYDE CLODHOPPER Mayor Gary Norton was in Washington, D.C. spending money the city doesnt have on a Congressional Black Caucus party when he learned that East Clevelands finance director will be gone when he returns. Sources say Norton was caught off-guard by Jack Johnsons surprise September 21 resignation. The announcement came seven days before Auditor of State David Yosts September 28 deadline for Norton and Johnson to submit a financial recovery plan that would keep the city from returning to fiscal emergency. This couldnt have come at a worse time for the city, said media and government expert Jon Davis. Garys had two finance directors in 33 months and now needs another. No finance director with real experience is coming to a city led by a lying dummy with an $8 million deficit. Johnsons departure guarantees East Clevelands return to fiscal emergency. Davis said council meetings show Norton has already been practicing the lies hes going to tell the public about the fiscal emergency. Even though state law requires the mayor and finance director to create a financial recovery plan, Norton has lied and said it is councils duty to prepare it. The dwarf-like mayor tried out his latest lie at a recent council meeting. Davis said Norton and Johnson lost qualified finance department employees this year that have not been replaced. He said Johnson didnt also have a strong deputy finance director to replace him during his absence. This affects payroll and the citys ability to pay its bills, Davis said. It is an extremely demoralizing event that should encourage the state auditor to takeover East Cleveland now instead of waiting another week or so. Davis said East Clevelands finances have spiralled downward ever since Norton took office in 2010. Norton, council and ex-mayor Eric Brewer faced a $900,000 deficit in 2009 as a result of a shortfall in income tax collections. Brewer implemented a hiring freeze, reduced employees from 40 to 32 hour work weeks and pressured the police and fire unions into making 10 percent in concessions.
Doesnt Beyonce sing ... It sucks to be you right now? Damn cuz. You make midgets look bad.

JOHNSON LEAVES NORTONS $8 MILLION DEFICIT FOR HIM TO SOLVE

WHAT WILL JACK JOHNSON TELL THE FBI? Sources confirmed that ex-finance director Jack Johnson applied for the job of Seven Hills finance director in May and that he kept tight-lipped about his desire to leave because he didnt trust Norton. Johnson had a squeaky-clean reputation before it became tarnished by the Norton administration. He quickly learned that his new boss was a crook and an incompetent liar who knew nothing about managing city government. A close friend said Johnson was upset over Norton dragging him into a lie that hed found $3.2 million an overlooked Keybank account. The friend said he was also concerned about the no bid contracts the mayor was awarding and accused ex-finance director Ron Brooks of having missing records.

When one of the police unions failed to accept his concessions, Brewer placed 23 names on the lay-off list and gave them one hour to agree to his concessions or lose their jobs. Norton by then had become mayor-elect and began publicly criticizing the ex-mayors decisions. The police and fire unions endorsed Norton and didnt want to be laid-off or made to give up 10 percent of their wages and benefits like other city employees. Brewers plan cut the deficit from $900,000 to $800,000 before he left office. The deficit would have been eliminated altogether by July 2010 if Norton had followed his plan and collected instead of waiving fees to contractors. Brewer also expected to bring in

another $350,000 with the vacant property registration ordinance he wrote. But Brewer let the police union concessions expire on December 31, 2009 and advised Norton to continue them. The new mayor put politics ahead of common sense and eliminated all of the cuts Brewer had made. This grew the deficit to $1.8 million by December 2010. In November 2011, Yosts auditors told Norton and council they had a $5.8 million deficit before they began discussions about the 2012 budget. Former finance director Ron Brooks abruptly submitted his resignation after the whopping deficit was revealed and remained on the job until Norton found Johnson as a replacement.
Flip it over

TATTLER, NO. EAST CLEVELAND TATTLER, NO. 23, SEPTEMBER 2012

MORE RELIABLE THAN THE PLAIN DEALER

Council ordered Norton to cut the budget by 10 percent for 2012 and stripped him of the extra $45,000 he was getting paid as safety director. Norton went whining to Plain Dealer and Call & Post reporters and lied to them about all the money he was bringing into the city even though he knew he faced a $5.8 million deficit. Lazy Plain Dealer reporters and editors published his lies and stupidly criticized council for cutting costs. Plain Dealer reporter James Ewinger misled readers with an unsubstantiated lie that Norton would handle the growing deficit with $3.5 million in cash on hand and the rest coming from the closure of Huron Hospital. Another Plain Dealer reporter, Tom Feran, continued to mislead readers with the lie that Norton found $3.2 million in an overlooked Keybank account. Sources said Johnson was particularly disturbed with Norton for dragging his name into his lies. Norton did not find $3.2 million Johnson quietly confirmed to sources. The citys financial records show that Norton and Johnson ignored the spending cuts council ordered and overspent the 2012 budget by $1 million during the first three months of the year. Council learned in February that Johnson ignored the 2012 appropriations ordinance they approved in December and that he continued to pay Norton the $45,000 wages for safety director based on a questionable legal opinion written by law director Ronald K. Riley. Rileys legal opinion, however, does not overturn an ordinance or resolution that was duly-passed by council. In May state auditor Yost rejected Norton and Johnsons first financial recovery plan and described it as inadequate. He gave them 120 days to come up with another. That warning, however, failed to rattle Norton into becoming a better manager. Norton continued hiring employees, handing out raises and allowing public officials like police chief Ralph Spotts to receive stolen public funds by paying him for overtime in violation of a council ordinance that prohibited him from receiving it. Instead of being paid $67,000 a year as approved by council, Spotts has received over $26,000 extra in stolen public funds each year that Nortons been mayor. Brewer previously rejected Spotts overtime requests and his attempt to get the same benefits as union employees. As of the last pay period in September, records show Spotts has earned $93,000 for the year when he should have only thus far received approximately $50,000. Nortons selective decision to let Spotts get overtime and other union benefits could become troublesome for the city if public employees like fire chief Doug Zook decide to file a discrimination lawsuit. Like the police chief, Zook is exempted by ordinance from receiving overtime. Critics say the way Norton has managed employees comes from his thinking like an

Norton Finance boss bails on Nor ton to save reputation Clinkscale admits she and 5 other employees are stealing city gas
From the other page

Chief of staffs theft confession confirms Lewis suspicions

Ex-finance director Ron Brooks submitted his resignation after learning that he and Gary Norton had created a $5.8 million deficit by giving employees like police chief Ralph Spotts overtime of over $25,000 a year in violation of a first degree misdemeanor ordinance that prohibited the cop from receiving the stolen funds.

employee not a manager. Davis said Norton wants to be friends and go drinking with employees instead of being their boss. Audit committee member Gerald Silvera complained to council that Norton and Johnson spent $2.5 million more than what was appropriated for the year. Their reckless spending by then had increased the citys deficit to over $8 million. Council was astounded to learn from attorneys Darryl Pittman and James Alexander, who theyd hired as special legal counsel, that Johnson was paying Norton $45,000 as safety director and another $45,000 as deputy safety director; bringing his combined wages to $130,000. The mayors salary is $40,000. Council grew even more frustrated when they learned Norton and Riley were deliberately obstructing their effort to pass legislation that would force the mayor to implement a hiring freeze and strengthen the citys dereliction of duty ordinance. They assigned Pittman and Alexander to file a writ of mandamus against Norton, Johnson and Riley in August that would force them to follow ordinances and resolutions. The latest blow to the citys growing financial calamity is a September 2012 HUD letter that tells Norton and council they owe more than $1 million from the general fund. $570,000 comes from Nortons failure to follow block grant spending guidelines. Davis said Johnsons resignation leaves Yost with no choice but to place East Cleveland under state oversight through a financial advisor whos permanently assigned to city hall. Fiscal emergency wont be easy a second time around, Davis said. Tax collections are down. Huron Hospital is gone. Pollock Foods is leaving. Taxes generated by post office employees are gone. The well has run dry because greedy employees who live outside East Cleveland dont want to leave money on the table that enhances the citys prosperity. Once the state takes over, cuts in services will be deep. Snow removal, waste collection, leaf pick-up, street resurfacing, grass cutting, street light replacement will all be in jeopardy. Dozens of employees will be laid-off, he said. These are the accomplishments of the Plain Dealers endorsed candidate, he said.

By JULINDA MIADOLLA Chief of staff Collette Clinkscale may have thought she was intimidating council vice president Chantelle C. Lewis with a letter that contained a threat to sue her, but all her correspondence did was confirm the councilwomans belief that the chief of staff and five other employees were engaging in theft in office. Clinkscale sent the letter after the council vice president criticized her during a council meeting as an example of the way employees were ignoring ordinances council had put in place to save money. She accused Lewis of discriminating against her because she is a woman. Lewis said Clinkscale earns $90,000 annually and drives a city vehicle home to Orange Village everyday that has cost East Cleveland taxpayers over $1400 in gasoline this year alone. She said Mayor Gary Norton served as council president in 2008 when he led Joy Jordan, Nate Martin, Barbara Thomas and Mildred Brewer to pass a resolution that restricted ex-Mayor Eric Brewer from allowing any employee other than the mayor, police chief and fire chief to take a vehicle home without council approval. Lewis has said that Norton did not seek council approval for Clinkscale and the other five employees to drive city vehicles home. She had particularly harsh criticism for Clinkscale because she serves as Nortons chief of staff and is supposed to ensure that she and other employees obey the city and states ordinances, resolutions and laws. The resolution Clinkscale admitted violating is a first degree misdemeanor. Her letter claims that no one asked her what she did that justifies her taking home a city vehicle, Lewis said. She fails to realize that the process requires the mayor to ask council if she can drive a city vehicle home and for her to justify the need to the council in a public meeting. The letter shows a complete lack of understanding of her duties as a public official whose official conduct is open for discussion by anyone. I am not impressed with her threat. If she doesnt want the criticism then park the vehicle and repay the city for the gasoline she stole. Clinkscale was fired by former East Cleveland Mayor Emmanuel Onunwor after he learned she had hired a cousin and the boyfriend of another relative to work in the citys water department before he took office in 1998. A review of petty cash expenses also showed Clinkscale using public funds then to pay her hair stylist and manicurist. He rehired her after she was recommended by Nate Gray to manage the water department when the citys contract with CH2M Hill / OMI was terminated in 2003.