Folks I really don’t know where to start except to report the State Auditor has released the Bay St Louis Performance Review, a 42 page document which drills down on the root causes of each and every major finding contained in the City’s 2014 audit report that included the Mayor Les Fillingame committing the Citizens to bank debt without City Council’s approval, among many other major internal control issues including a general failure to follow the financial portions of the Mississippi Home Rule Statute.
That the City is cash strapped with major budgetary issues is a given for anyone that has followed the coverage of the financial meltdown here on Slabbed. Even more disturbing is Mayor Fillingame’s steadfast refusal to hire a competent City Clerk while the clock runs on the deadline for the City to submit its 2015 FY Audit to the Single Audit Clearinghouse as required by law. It is a certainty the June 30, 2016 deadline will again be missed by the City marking the third straight year the City has been seriously delinquent closing its books.
More disturbing is that sources with knowledge of the operations of City Hall that are not authorized to speak with the media have disclosed to Slabbed that the City’s new audit firm has experienced their first “run in” with Mayor Fillingame, who is attempting to limit the scope of the audit procedures being applied in certain audit areas. [See paragraph .11]
With that set up and given that Slabbed, along with the Seacoast Echo, The Sun Herald and WLOX all covered the Performance Audit Presentation a few months back I figured the best way to present the report would be to present the Mayor’s belated response to the detailed analysis of the audit findings, which he submitted three weeks late, in a musical format so without further adieu:
Those wishing to find out a bit more can get a copy of the report in PDF format by clicking here. Stay tuned.
Thanks, Doug.
Now, let’s see what the Council’s strategy will be on behalf of the taxpayers of Bay St. Louis.
Can you say complete legal and administration incompetency. That is a good read. The mayor and attorney run around trying to prosecute the people who question their actions but just dont see the merit of good government! I say prosecute!
The auditor must have taken the mayor’s car away. He has been using his personal car for months. That alone will save enough to pay for the audit.
He and his friends, that still claim him, should be appalled. They should all get on the trolley and go to Tennessee with a herpes Hemsley and gang, just don’t let Charlie drive. I’m taking the audit and pressing charges for waste and abuse of my tax money. He has been screwing people all his life, being the mayor allows him to get us all at one time.
Raff and Les are 2 peas in the pod! The Joker to the right and The Clown to the left!
If ignorance is Bliss they are solid Blisters!
Tom,
I heard that his legionnaires were leaving on the Trolley. Dropping one group off in Tennessee and Ellis A off in Kentucky. We were not insightful enough to appreciate how they want to give our money away to things that they believe in. Maybe Les will get a jail sentence in one of those states and they can visit him. My bet is that when they get where they are going those people will tire of them just as we have. If they leave now they can register to vote in time to vote for Bernie Sanders!
I’ve read it on here once about the only rational decision Les made was to have a criminal attorney for the city attorney. He knew his scene wouldn’t last. His greedy egotistical ways have gotten exposed by 4 audits. He is worse than the Walkers.
The Walkers are mere Novices to Les and Raff.
Les and Raff think the Law is merely a suggestion as stated in the Audit. That has been said many times on slabbed! WOW Go Figure!
If they would spend les time on their Fu@k Ups they could possibly figure out how to run the city?
I would be happy just to know SOMEDAY what hd did with the $368,000 in utility payments! That and the $310,000 in DOJ funds, lest we forget the bravd men and women on the Police Force who rsked their lives earning it for the city. How des he face them?!
Additions and improvements to his home, business investments with the Koff trolls, limousine rides with the chamber, numerous trips for him and wifey to Jackson which is really Philadelphia Ms for the casinos, new fire engine red Golf cart, that may have been a gift. The list goes on, he has been allowed to run the city like his own personal business. No rules, laws or boundaries worry him.
I have full faith that the right outcome will happen. I believe the counsel was educated on what is appropriate and what is not. They were depending on the City Counselor to advise them and as stated in the Audit he was only representing the Mayor. I personally feel he (Counselor) should be culpable with the Mayor.
I feel the council will take the right steps to recoup our tax dollars back and put that money back in the accounts they belong to.
Mismanagement, Misfeasance, Malfeasance what ever you want to call it, when it happens intentionally, it is a crime against the public. In this case they have taken every effort to filibuster the outcome up to trying to cover it up!
The hilarity that the Council meeting this Tues is, once again, supposed to be a public hearing on the silliness that is the Leisure & Recreation District. It’s so frustrating that sometimes you just want to throw in the towel. One of problems in the SA’s report was the Council’s lack of authority. We should be done with this. The Council mandated the Mayor’s office to advertise 4 times at the May 24th mtg. How do I know this? Because I sat thru the 5 minutes of Council members repeating the dates over & over & over & over yet the Mayor did not do it & the Council with no balls did nothing, mandated that Raff publish 2 more ads with maps. Yep, NO MAPS in the ads. Administration says F*&K you Council. We (along with Old Town) run this City.
Until the people of BSL stand up and say enough is enough he will continue to do what he wants. I say we pool our money, hire an attorney and sue or demand he be prosecuted for his actions.
Everyone talks about how the Council has no Balls, what about the people. This is his second term and nothing has changed. Quit complaining and take action. Lets take our city back and show him who is in charge. It is obvious the Council is gutless. The new members have not stood up to him like they promised in their campaigning. they surely turned into politicians real quick…
Tuesday night rally around and make demands on the Council. Then lets see what they do..
Such a Sad day in the Bay!!
Outraged,
We all feel your frustration, but I would disagree that the whole Council has placated him.
This Audit by the state would never have happened without the push from Falgout, Favre, and Boudin. And Favre was the one last summer who discovered the DOJ money missing and demanded an investigation.
Reed seems to becoming around.
Granted, the other 3, Compretta, Seal, and McDonald need to go. All pretty nice people, but no interest in really getting things done.
Seal’s remedy to all of this will probably be a tax hike to bail out the Mayor. Sad. Well, he voted for the $500,000 illegal loan at The First Bank to cover the missing utility payments knowing his constituents had sent their money to City Hall.
He, Bobby, and Wendy are Les’s rubber stamp committed for sure.
But let’s give Lonnie, Mike, and Joey credit for hanging in their while being out voted constantly by the others. Now, that is frustrating.
These two meetings this week will be very revealing.
I agree that action by the people is in order. I would support that.
I agree about Falgout, Boudin & Favre somewhat. There have been times when they had opportunities to make Les accountable or deny him request and they have done nothing. Why did they keep Rafferty? Rumor had it they were going to fire him??? What changed? this is the type of actions I talk about when I say those 3 are not doing their job. Lets see them take a hard stand. Yes, they have take the steps to have audits and find out where the money is, but they need to go a little further and make Les’s Bond bay the money back and hire an attorney that will give them good legal advise.
I really believe they all have a dose of reality. They can be held accountable for their lack of oversight. They know Les has to be held financially accountable. This is the situation you get into when you have a criminal attorney as legal council. Getting away with wrong doing 101. He represents thugs, thieves, pimps, prostitutes and pedophiles for a living. I guess there is a need for that but the City should not have that need. There are plenty of qualified Corporate and Business Attorneys out there to serve with dignity who value their reputation!
Les failed to say the budget was balanced because:
1. The council took the check book away
2. The council liquidated/surplused unneeded real estate
3. The Mayor miss spent philanthropy money $100,000 unaccounted for and not for the purpose given.
4. $330,000 DOJ Police Funds which are under Federal Investigation
5. $13 per month fee on every water meter spent also unknown where.
6. $1,000,000 Loan to pay off another loan unpaid. It is called an illegal line of credit. Note: A loan stipulation ordered the $13 Utility fee be dedicated to this which he and the attorney signed, but went to aid his spending habits instead. They mislead the council on this and recently tried to sneak nun pro truk in to conceal the actions not authorized by council.
If this is good management I will retract this.
Outraged,
Lonnie, Mike, and Joey have made the most progress for the city. It has been an uphill battle though because they had to struggle for that fourth vote on so many issues.
I have witnessed that struggle and frustration when the other 4 refused to confront the Mayor and Kolf.
Apparently the lady from Jackson has made a difference, but I won’t take anything for granted.
Interesting to see whether or not BSL officials will “look the other way” regarding the “go cup – resort destination” issue for the upcoming Pirate’s Day party they have planned. Just par for the course for the priveleged few – like providing free dumpster service for the local, “in-crowd” businesses downtown and fixing DUI charges for its own. As long as your on the KoolAid ride, the BSL crooks leave you alone.
If you rock their boat and call them out to be accountable for their illicit actions, they engage in selective harassment and prosecution – ask the poolman. BSL has several, outspoken second- and third-generation citizens that regularly speak out against the illicit and biased actions of the mayor and his minions. One in particular has been targeted by the City and subjected to selective harassment and prosecution. Corrupt city officials – namely, the mayor and city attorney – have engage in a biased effort to prosecute this individual, because of his efforts to hold the City accountable, and they are attempting to have his home and property declared a public health nuisance and menace, because he doesn’t maintain a neat, well-kept lawn and appearance, and he stockpiles or collects items of interest and/or potential, future use to him.
And, while his yard and his method of storing his possession may not be to your liking, I failed to see how his property is any more of a heath hazard than all of the other dilapidated, abandon, neglected, poorly-maintained and/or other similar pieces of property that are widespread throughout the City and County.
How does the City justify singling out one individual and one piece of property? Simple – they are free to do as they damn well please, because everyone with the authority to investigate and prosecute the corruption is part of the corruption – our congressmen, governor, lt. governor, state attorney general, state auditor, federal prosecutors, etc.
Please attend the City council meeting tomorrow night and show your support for ending corruption in BSL by calling upon the Mayor and Council to treat all citizens and all businesses and properties, fairly. Do so, before they go into executive session, wherein they will hide their illicit efforts to harass and prosecute one of BSL’s uncontrollable watchdog.
Please note – you take a risk of being next in line for harassment, if you speak up; but, the alternative of silence contributes to the aid and abetting of continued corruption and the misspending of your municipal funds. Make a choice – if you ain’t speak up and out against the corruption, then you are just as well a part thereof.
Selective enforcement has been a Hallmark of this Administration. The Building Department, Legal Counsel, Code Enforcement, Transparency, Utility Dept, Property Rental (some pay some don’t…figure out who the don’ts are), Bidding Contracts, Hiring, Drug Testing Employees, Insurance etc… As per the OSA Audit no Dept was left out of the corrupt system. Court Records and collections….why do you think Les and the Counselor don’t want a collection agency to collect at no cost to the City?…no brainier, because they may not have got the verdict they want but their client and friend just wont pay the fine. There is no safe sanctuary in the city management……WOW this is just a start to list of problems!
My Fellow Americans,
Now that’s the “report” has been released to the public it makes me wonder if the State Auditor is hatching a plan to take down the lower level employees while preserving the RRRSM elite. Just as he did and had a high success rate of doing so in the DMR investigation.
Any report the auditors office produces is questionable. It’s sad be the citizens of Mississippi should question what was looked at. Did the auditors sweep anything under the table. Did they draw their conclusions based on facts or did they try to create a fairly tail from a pile of shit?
In my opinion, I no doubt believe BSL is infested with crooks in government but will Stacey reveal and charge them accordingly. My guess is no.
All of this disgust with the city. Again, until the people get together and do something it will never end during this administration.
You either have to get a petition out or whatever needs to be done and recall the mayor, picket at city hall, come out in masses to the meetings or just stay home.
Make your choices people, the mayor needs to go along with his attorney. The audit is out. They both have to go.
The City Counselor is gone. It is being said that you have to be a resident of Hancock County as per the new attorney contract. He resides in Pass Christian. They don’t want him either. It is said by City Officials he sued PC due to event road closures (Cruising The Coast). He indicated that it devalued his income property. Go figure! Raff doesn’t like road closures the King of road closures. He sure as hell does that in BSL! Well he has another road closure, Main Street BSL! He only has a few weeks and he has to resign from being the Wolf of Main Street! No more huffing and puffing and blowing peoples rights away!
That’s good. I am glad to see that the council has made the right decision. Any employee in such a important position should reside in the County they work for…
The basic problem is when you have a defense attorney like the city counselor is this……it’s not a matter of right & wrong or legal it’s a matter of can you prove it! Les has stated this in executive session it’s not a problem unless we are caught. Ain’t that comforting!