In order to succeed in reducing or eliminating such audit findings and improve the financial position of the City, over the
next year, the Council, the Mayor, and the administration will need to make some very hard decisions that may not always
be popular. In addition, the City will need to find ways to sustain the changes and cuts that it makes in order for these
solutions to be long-term. ~ Bay St Louis Performance Audit Report issued by the Office of the State Auditor
Those of you following Slabbed’s Twitter timeline got a taste of last night’s City Council meeting. Stacey Cato at the Seacoast Echo filled in many of the later gaps.
Council members not happy of City Attorney's absence. Boudin says either he's here or he needs to supply alternate. Tables several old items
— Stacey Cato (@MsSippiQueen) June 22, 2016
As the City winds down the 3rd Quarter of its fiscal year the above verbiage I quoted from the Performance Review of the City came to mind. OSA used a very specific term, “Deficit” to describe the City’s financial situation and in Mississippi there is no statutory authority to park accumulated deficits into bank debt. The only options are to raise more revenue or cut spending. There is not much that can be done from a revenue raising standpoint at the end of a municipality’s third quarter leaving one other option to get a budget into balance.
As for the MIA City Attorney, we found him:
Birthday murder suspect on trial ~ Dwayne Bremer
The betting money is that Mr. Rafferty will be a no show for Thursday’s meeting as well.
Recessed BSL meeting will address OSA audit report and possibly DOJ. Budget amendment too @SlabbedNewMedia @WesleySMuller @msrachaelramsey
— Stacey Cato (@MsSippiQueen) June 22, 2016
Thursday’s meeting looks like it will be interesting. Stay tuned.
As stated numerous times he represents murders, thugs, thieves, rapist, pimps, pedophiles and prostitutes.
Since he was put on salary some weeks ago he has shown that he is in contempt of city business. This is being discussed at each council meeting and councilman continue to complain but no action has been taken with the exception of extending him a new contract.
He finds loop holes in the contract to protect himself because he writes the contract language. Other than putting on a defense for the mayor and using his over reach of authority to try and prosecute local adversaries he has done little no productive business for the city. This can be evidenced by the councils discussions during meetings.
His contempt of the local tax payers who were there because in part his actions should demand his head. We do not serve at Mr. Rafferty’s convenience.
As usual, it is good ole John Q. Public that gets the short end of the stick.
With this Performance Audit Report at their disposal and the continuing behavior of the Mayor and HIS lawyer, (paid for by the taxpayers),this Council had better take some meaningful action or they will convince the voters they have decided to be part of the problem, not the solution.
As I said before Lana, the council is part of the problem. If they don’t take action tonight I have no trust in them anymore.
they should not put up with NO legal representation at the meetings. This puts the council and all of their votes at risk, should they make a decision and vote on it then it turns out it is not legal then all has to be recalled. For what they pay Rafferty, he can send an associate in from his office to attend the meeting. No government entity should have public meetings without legal council present.
The Counselor has made it clear that while on a salary he will do what he likes and no more. Mr. Seal complained about his recent lack of work, Lonny has mentioned it, Mike has had discussion on it and Joey got a dose of it last meeting when the counselor had Citizens called to a meeting and he was a no show to pursue his private practice defending an enemy of the state against a victim. He writes Vetoes for Les and puts on Les’s legal defense on our nickle but the day to day business which affects us is put on the back burner.
I agree with you outraged at this point in time after being educated on our nickle if the cronyism continues we can only replace them with people who care what the tax payers want. Good Representation and use of our Tax Dollars and good legal representation. At this time our biggest problems are all legal in nature! Who would you look at first?
At the very least, the City owes an apology to those individuals that had business before the council and who wasted their time to prepare and attend the council meeting. The City lacked the common courtesy and basic professionalism to notify those indivudals that had business before the Council that their matter would not be heard, because of Mr. Rafferty’s abscence/prior commitment. And, there is no excuse for the City and Mr. Rafferty for not advising those individuals, and the public, that no business, involving Mr. Rafferty, would be conducted, due to his prior commitment.
No, Mr. Rafferty’s abscense, and the failure to advise the public beforehand, were planned and executed, so as to avoid and/or postpone having to face-up to the fact that the Mayor and his minions have misappropriated local, state, and federal dollars. If it were you or I, we’d be in jail or out on a steep bond, awaiting trial. For those that are part of the KoolAid Train, they just keep on stealing with immunity from prosecution and accountability. Who’s going to stop them? – our crooked attorney general, crooked state auditor, or crooked federal prosecutor? No, they all too busy conspiring to hide/shield the MDMR public records from the light of day.
I should watch what I say about poor, ole “The Don” – Rafferty and Mayor Less. They are likely to come after me and declare my home a public health and safety nuisance, like they are trying to do to one of their outspoken, call-the-crooks-to-the-curb opponents.
Please attend the next council meeting and ask the Council to hold the Mayor and Mr. Rafferty accountable. Also, ask them to stop harassing individuals that speak up against corruption and mismanagement and pay close attention to their efforts to declare one opponent, in particular, a public health threat, because he prefers to allow his property to “grow wild” for the critters and privacy and because he’s a bit of a horder or collector.
Can’t fault him for that. If you were raised as one of the youngest in a family of nine children and had to share, scrape, and/or fight to get what you wanted or needed, I could see where you might have a tendency to collect and stockpile items that you need or may have a use for some day.
Regardless, of how my friend and opponent of the corruption within BSL maintains his property, I fail to see how his property is any more of a public health threat than the numerous, abandoned, damaged, run-down, poorly-maintained, dilapidated and/or eclectic structures and homes that are widespread throughout the City and County. The City’s efforts to declare and condemn my friend’s property as a public health threat is nothing more than an arbitrary and capricious decision and attempt intended to harass and harm him, because he’s a thorn in their side, a fly in their ointment, a nosy, do-gooder who they can’t control. Be careful – you may be next.
JC,
Take pictures from Demontluzin the fence has fallen down! Pretty Sight to see!
Aug.JC,
I do not know how many siblings you have in your family, however you must have been the one that was dropped on their head and had some Dame bramage!
Myself, being a young sibling of 9 ( nine) children I found this statement you wrote and I will quote it,
‘ If you were raised as one of the youngest in a family of nine children and had to share, scrape, and/or fight to get what you wanted or needed, I could see where you might have a tendency to collect and stockpile items that you need or may have a use for some day.”
Are you not familiar with the Bible verse Genesis 1:28 it states ” God blessed the humans by saying to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it! Be masters over the fish in the ocean, the birds that fly, and every living thing that crawls on the earth!”.
JC you have absolutely no idea the values that are instilled in children from large families.
JC NO LARGE FAMILY I KNOW OF HAS THE NEED TO HOARD STUFF OR FIGHT FOR WHAT WE NEEDED BECAUSE FRANKLY GOD PROVIDED ALL OF THAT FOR US ! YOUR A SINNER , AND RESEMBLE YOURSELF AS EQUAL TO JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF! YOU REPLUSE ME !
JC,
Have you seen the City property behind City Hall. It is as big of a junk yard as you can find in Hancock County. Dilapidated fence, junk, old culverts, damaged equipment, car tires,weeds to high heaven etc…..Go take a few pics and present this to the council. Worst part of this is it is manned daily by city employees who just step over it. These will be the same employees they will send out to harass your friend.
Does anyone know how much time off a elected official, for the city, can take before a special election or a appointment is done? Do they get paid when absent? Why do we have soooooo many council members? I don’t think the mayor needs any council members do run the Bay. He’s done such a good job so far.
Good question Ronda O. Can anyone answer these questions on elected officials. I feel bad for anyone missing time due to illness, but when they are seen during Pirate Day in the Bay all dressed in costume can’t be that sick, maybe just sick of what is going on with her position.
How long can administration stay in their positions with NO certification? did you ask that question?
Because they have seven seats and Les needs some puppets or dwarfs, Doug-Doc, Mike-Grumpy,Bob-Happy,Joe-Sleepy, Lonnie-Bashful,Jeff-Sneezy and Wendy-Dopey to play with.
Ronda, the missing “h’ in your name must stand for “hammered!” “H”opefully you are being sarcastic with your comment regarding the mayor.
Rhonda O is a Les Legionnaire! Her husbands job depends on it! Where else could a guy with his educational back ground get a job like that. Jerry has to translate the big words.
I know everyone is focused on BSL for this post but what do ya’ll think of the Biloxi Shuckers investment? I mentioned before that it was a poor economical and business decision and the numbers are looking that way also. We have piles of tax payer money that was thrown at this project which is already showing failed returns. I think the whole minor league team deal was nothing more than a slick way to utilize tax payer money to line someone’s pockets. Most likely a thick member from the RRRSM.
Yes I know what you mean about Biloxi and the MGM ballpark. My trouble was the unannounced engineering done without the publics knowledge when this all started. Biloxi is as crooked as Bay St. Louis if not more and has been for a long time b
If I were a newspaper reporter, I would be caught between two headlines for last night’s Bay St. Louis City Council meeting. Either:
Fillingame to Prosecute Bonds of City Council on Department of Justice Funds, or
Fillingame Blames Butler-Snow for Mix-Up in Bond Restructure Payments
The city’s former independent auditing firm, Wright, Ward, Hatten & Guel, the Department of Justice auditing firm, and now the Office of the State Auditor in Jackson Miss. have all concluded that on September 30, 2011, the Department of Justice Equitable Sharing Fund was “unrestricted, and co-mingled with other city accounts in violation of Federal regulations.”
Based on these conclusions, Ward 5 Councilman, Joey Boudin, moved to have the City Attorney contact the Bonding Company of Mayor Fillingame and two former City Clerks, David Kolf and Katherine Smith for a potential action on their bonds.
Fillingame responded that he would also prosecute the bonds of Council for spending the money.
WAIT?!! It’s been spent?! Fillingame’s answer to At-Large Councilman Mike Favre last summer when Favre asked where the $300,00 was —“It’s in the account where it is supposed to be.”
Not according to 3 different auditors. And now that we know it has been spent, the Mayor will prosecute the Council for approving the dockets!!!
That’s going to be sad news for Bobby Compretta, Doug Seal, Jeffrey Reed, and Wendy McDonald, Les’s faithful 4 votes on the Council. We know he wants to take Favre, Boudin, and Falgout down with him, but to do so he’ll have to dump his friends on the Council as well.
Time will tell how Butler-Snow reacts to the Mayor’s remarks on their performance on the Bond Restructure at Hancock Bank in June of 2014.
Council President, Lonnie Falgout, did a good job last night meticulously going through the State Audior, Stacey Pickering’s Performance Audit Report on the condition of the city’s finances.
Pickering’s staff summarized that the city is currently operating under a tremendous budget shortfall with cash flow problems. Falgout stated that in addition to “cash flow, it is what was done with the cash that was the problem.
Still to be addressed is the unaccounted for $368,000 in utililty payments which were, according to the auditors, part of an illegal loan at The First Bank. The entire loan was $500,000 in November of 2013.
Add that amount to the now admittedly spent DOJ funds and you have a nice little chunck of change to be accounted for: $800,000.
The Council did well to pass Boudin’s motion to alert the Bonding Company because we all know this should NEVER be paid back by the taxpayers of Bay St. Louis, who had no idea they were being duped.
The gears turn slow but this is ridiculous. writs need to be executed and the attorney needs to move on defending public enemies. charlie is no longer qualified to be interim building official by state law. les will be responsible for paying him as of July 1st. watch this play out.
The attorney needs to move on?
That attorney just got a man off who killed another one by stabbing him 12 times!
If you think Les and the others are going to let a defense attorney like that ” move on” think again.
Especially right now.
But for the record, Falgout and Favre split with the other four and voted to cut the lawyer loose.
Remember the “dot” – Butler-Snow. See how the “dots” at Butler-Snow connect with the BSL financial problem, the SRHS fiasco, the Port, the MDMR, the MDEQ, etc. See who they have on staff as consultants – Lott & Barbour, for two. Remember who was front and center in a seers-sucker summer suit with the standard (arrogant) yellow tie at the Joe Cloyd hosted fund-raiser for Stacey Pickering. Check the host/sponsor/guest list for that fund-raiser with the campaign contributors and fund-raiser for the Scott Walker for Ocean Springs mayor campaign and note all the familiar names. Check who went fishing on the MDMR trips/boats. Check who was chairman of the MS senate and/or house committees on insurance, ports & marine resources, etc., following Katrina – when our insurable losses were fraudently denied by all three of the big insurers and pawned off on the National Flood Insurance Program -, and during the time-period that MDMR and MDEQ misappropriated millions of dollars, and, at present. Check and see where the past chairmans of these committees are today and who had taken their place. Who declined to prosecute the insurance companies following Katrina? Who conspired to defy a court order to produce the public records of the MDMR by falsifying a grand jury subponea and move the records, literally, “at the midnight hour” to an unsecured location at a motel? Who bought a motor home with campaign funds and uses it mainly for vacationing at Disney or with friends? Who worked at the processing plant in Jones County that was busted for one of the biggest abuse of illegal workers and underpayment? What happened to all the missing monies at MDMR and MDEQ? Where are all the players in the MDMR/MDEQ corruption scheme at now and for who are they working – Trudy Fisher, Tina Shumate, Kerwin Cuevas, the Land Trust, the boat-riders, etc.?
Where are the MDMR public records? Since we’ve settled the criminal case against BP, how about releasing to the public and scientific communities all of the information that our “trustees” said they couldn’t release because it was part of an ongoing, criminal investigation? How about tell us what was damaged? Where, what, how and when did you sample and what did you find?
Why are we paying to hire someone to survey and find three, 15-acre sites for oyster-habitat development and to survey the west MS Sound oyster reef areas? Do we not already pay someone with that expertise at either MDMR, MDEQ, USM-GCRL, USM-Stennis-Marine Science, USM-Hattiesburg, NMFS, one or more of our state or community colleges? Do we not already have the equipment for surveying at one or more of these publicly-funded agencies? Do we not have at least one available boat at one or more of these entities that, at the least, could be supplied to defer the cost of hiring a consultant to do the work that we don’t apparently have anyone on staff anywhere with that capability and/or expertise. Reckon, we can blame that on our poor, under-funded education system.
So many unanswered, and worse, unasked questions. Hey, Phil, Billy, Brice, Watson, Hood, Pickering, WLOX, Sun Herald etc., etc., – are you aware or asleep at the wheel?
Did anyone catch the part about checks without proper signatures or checks without council approval????? Sounds like I need a request for more docs… I’m going to the Sheriffs office and demand they investigate any criminal wrong doing.
Sorry Charlie….NO MORE FREE LUNCH! Time to farm out the building department.
The end of the meeting seemed like a cliff hanger to be continued!
What about the over budget positions???
Watch it Poolman, they’ll find something to hang on you. This is like the Godfather all over again, don’t cross them or you wake up with the fishes.