Interim City Clerk Paula Fairconetue and the Municipal Payroll Clerk Pat Tice should join him in immediately leaving. The City needs a true Chief Financial Officer for its City Clerk, not a friend of the Mayor with a marketing degree.
17 thoughts on “Editorial: Slabbed New Media calls for Bay St Louis Mayor Les Fillingame’s Immediate Resignation”
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Correct me if I am wrong, but the media reported this week that Chief DeNardo was being suspended without pay by the Mayor because he was the the subject in an investigation.
Using that same premise, and subsequent reports from Sheriff Adam regarding payroll fraud in City Hall, is it time for Mayor Fillingame, Payroll Clerk Pat Tice, and any and all of the numerous City Clerk’s who prepare and present payroll for approval by Council, to step down without pay until Sheriff Adam’s investigation is complete? This policy should apply across the board, not just to the Chief.
Just asking.
Lana you are absolutely correct. Whenever an ongoing investigation is taking place, the individuals should be removed from office immediately. This was done to the Police Chief and should apply to all department heads that my be involved. They should not be allowed to have access to anything in their office or records that could mysteriously disappear or change…..
The sheriff should make this call and do so now and the Council should hold a special meeting to address this situation to protect the integrity of the city and future investigations. There should be NO SPECIAL treatment at this time in the City due to the actions that have happened this past week. The council needs to get a grip and make some harsh decisions for the best interest of the people of Bay St Louis. If in fact all of these investigations reveal serious wrongdoings, then these employees from the Mayor down Need To Go… and Go now while investigating.
I am a taxpayer in BSL and am tired of the mishandling of funds by the Mayor and other personnel. We need to start a movement for this to happen.
They all will soon go to the sheriff for immunity. Hope it ain’t too late. Very few wanted to cooperate when asked by the sheriff. They may want to reconsider. G McKay is human resource manager. He is benefits manager and insurance man. Bet he wished he would have went out for bids and did the right things instead being a puppet. What did he know? Surely he would have cooperated? If I were investigating who ever did not voluntarily cooperate would be part of the investigation. They may all need Rafferty but he probably has his troubles, ya think!
Another McKay? Any kin to the one in Jackson county tied in with the DMR scandal? Hmmmm
All major problems start at the top. What we have is a bonafide “Culture of Corruption “! Lies, deception, poor to terrible legal advice with intent to deceive Etc…..building dept corruption, court room fixing, malicious prosecution, drug test cover ups, purchasing issues, docket payment issues, illegal raises, mismanagement of city owned rentals including questions about deposits and cash payments, lack of equipment inventory and just bad stewardship of the taxpayers equipment, MLS Training at thousands of dollars with no accountability by the elected officials and no appreciable result as reference to the above, payroll fraud at all levels to include retired building, fire and public works officials who stayed on the payroll nearly a year because they did not have to document time away from work, asst police chief kept her police vehicle months after her departure, Right now I would bet les has accrued 95% of his time, lil les daddy said should have been reeled in long ago unqualified cronies holding high level positions? Who would have figured what is happening now?
I based my post on a direct quote from Bay St. Louis Mayor Les Fillingame on page 1 of the Sea Coast Echo, Saturday, September 10, 2016:
The Echo reported in an interview with Fillingame:
Fillingame said De Nardo was being suspended while the investigation played out.
“It is common protocol that an employee be separated while there is an ongoing investigation.”
Page 7a of the same edition of the Sea Coast Echo:
Sheriff Ricky Adam stated with regard to the Payroll Fraud allegations that they are being investigated by the FBI, and the Sheriff’s office has been conducting an investigation on allegations of improprieties at City Hall.
Mr. Fillingame, you are under investigation also. You and your staff.
Man up, and, to quote you–“separate yourself, step down without pay until the investigation plays out.”
And don’t leave your staff behind. Take your Payroll Clerk, Comptroller, and, to quote you again,
your “acting City Clerk.”
The taxpayers of Bay St. Louis deserve no less.
I agree. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. It is the right thing to do. He has lost all moral authority and ability to lead in an ethical way. There are too many questions and all the probable answers lead to unethical to illegal conduct rampant through out the administration.
I also recommend terminating Rafferty’s prosecutor contract. It has been said that he is prowling council chambers under the cover of darkness. Do you really think he is burning the night oil for the best interest of BSL. Hell, he left 13 law suits dating back 6 yrs without doing that. What has changed to make him work late? At the very least change the locks and do not give him or les a key until this situation is under control. As les said about Lonny and Harding walking in the parking area as a “Serious breach of Security “!!!!!!!
After updating myself on this matter I do not think it is cruel to say that the mourning period for Chief DeNardo is over. The situation has now been covered over by a slimy political version of the Blob, which is about to overtake the entire city of Bay St. Louis. In the movie of the same name Steve McQueen tried to protect his hometown from a gelatinous alien life form that engulfs everything it touches. Who will come forward to fight this political blob, headed by the current mayor and other corrupt co-conspirators, including certain city employees? This nefarious slime is thick and must be destroyed. Mayor Less Filling must be removed before more damage is done, if that is even possible.
Biloxi Blues:
Da’ Blob movie fron da’ late 50’s ?
woo wee….You done goes back a long ways child!
It’s 1PM now don’t yo bees thinkin bout takin no nap like Hellery.💤💤
Locke, There is more than one version of The Blob movie. The original, with Steve McQueen, was released in 1958 in De Luxe color.I saw that one at a local drive-in theater. Then there was a remake in 1988 that was more of metaphor for the AIDS pandemic.Two thumbs down on that one. Now we have one being produced right here in Mississippi. The current version is all about political slime balls and their co-conspirators. The Blob moves slowly from county to county,city to city and state agency to state agency. We are now watching the Blob moving thru Bay St. Louis. While the first two were fiction the current version is based on real time corruption and malfeasance. No napping for this old man.Too much breaking news to sleep.
From what I can see and am hearing, Sheriff Adam has stepped up to the plate more than any agency with legal authority. And, he is local, which I feel shows he is not intimidated by politics.
In public service, leadership is what keeps public officials out of trouble, and leadership is what moves in and takes care of the problem when needed.
Is it possible that the new city attorney became aware of the allegations and pending actions against Mike and demanded that ‘Pinky?” (I love my new name for Leslie…kind of sounds gangsta!) act in his official capacity upon these. “But…This was not how Big Raff would have done it.” Pinky cried.
I know that you read this Leslie…..you know it too. These people are right – It’s time to be ashamed of yourself for what you have done and what you have failed to do. It is time that you start turning over evidence that will help reduce your sentence. It’s time to move on.
You pushed a very good man into his grave.
The Mayor, who started all of this in the city, and all employees with departments under investigation should be put on leave without pay, or resign.
Woah. Wait. Wlox has had Al Showers reporter for HANCOCK county for 32 years. Where is he? Is it true that Cheif DeNardo himself had Al Showers commited? Can some one check on where he is??????
I saw Al Showers this past friday….. He stopped at WQRZ to say hi.
Where is Al Showers in all of this?? He reported city news for WLOX and has not been seen to my knowledge since June or July. He had the Bay St. Louis area and reported all. Where is he? did he report too much? He lives in my area I used to see him all the time.
The time has come, all must do the right thing and take a leave without pay until all of this is finished being investigated.
You want the Mayor to do the right thing? Why start now after all of these years. The council needs to make that decision now.
The citizens of BSL need to call their council person and demand this be done.