WILDOMAR: City spending questioned
Council hires Sacramento-based accounting firm
By AARON CLAVERIE - Staff Writer | ∞
WILDOMAR ---- A leader of the city's incorporation effort publically questioned the City Council's spending to date on employees and consultants during Wednesday's regular meeting.
The spark for Gina Castanon's comments was a 4-0 council vote, with Mayor Bob Cashman absent, to hire the Sacramento-based accounting firm of Macias Gini and O'Connell.
According to a report prepared by the city's interim finance director, Steve Stark, the firm will be responsible for preparing finance reports, verifying bank reports and issuing purchase orders.
The firm will be paid an amount not to exceed $40,000 the first year and the firm's employees will be paid on a per hour basis by the city, the report states.
Stark mentions in the report a request for proposals that was sent June 27 to accounting firms that specialize in providing services to local governments. An analysis of the responses to that request conducted July 3 determined that Macias Gini and O'Connell, which has an office in San Diego, was the top choice for the city.
Castanon, addressing the council before its vote, said the report did not list any of the other firms that responded to the request.
"There's nothing to compare it to," she said of Macias Gini and O'Connell's bid.
Castanon, a former member of the nonprofit group that pushed for cityhood, said the City Council seems to be intent on hiring companies affiliated with the interim city manager, John Danielson, the former city manager of the Sacramento suburb of Elk Grove.
According to an agenda for an Elk Grove City Council meeting in 2004, the Elk Grove council directed Danielson to execute $130,000 in contracts with Cobb, Bazilo and Associates and the Macias Consulting Group for an analysis of police operations and an audit of financial management. Macias Consulting Group is the consulting division of Macias Gini and O'Connell, according to the company's Web site.
Responding to questions that have been previously raised about the hiring of former colleagues, Danielson has said that he has sought out people with whom he is familiar because the city of Wildomar can't risk instability during its formative months.
As for the scope of work in Wildomar that will be tackled by Macias Gini and O'Connell, Castanon said the tasks could be included under the umbrella of the finance director's duties.
Danielson addressed Castanon's comments, saying the financial tasks facing the city were too much for one person.
He said the accounting firm will be working to augment the financial superstructure that Stark is putting in place. He said the firm's employees working for the city will be the equivalent of lower level workers who would handle some data entry and other mundane financial tasks.
Danielson invited every member of the public interested in the city's finances to meet with Stark and take a look at the city's books.
"We're trying to be as open and transparent as possible," he said.
Following the council's vote, Castanon got up to leave the meeting, staged in David A. Brown Middle School's multipurpose room. Before she left the room, she said she isn't trying to be negative or bash the council.
"The public needs to know what the city is spending its money on," she said.
Also, she said she was skeptical that there wasn't a local accounting firm that could handle the tasks outlined in Stark's report.
The council did not address Castanon's comments before voting to approve the deal with Macias Gini and O'Connell, but at the end of Wednesday's meeting, City Councilwomen Marsha Swanson and Sheryl Ade asked staff to put together spending reports that detail how much the council has spent or committed to spend to date.
Contact staff writer Aaron Claverie at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, or aclaverie@californian.com.
Contact staff writer Aaron Claverie at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, or aclaverie@californian.com.
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SayWHAAT wrote on Jul 24, 2008 12:18 AM:Both Marsha and Sheryl said they would also like to see a financial statement as nothing has even been shown to them. They don't know where any of their plug nickles have gone. The own city council doesn't know what's going on. Who's leading who? I'm very disappointed in the leadership and I hope they recognize they have an opportunity to become more proactive. Remember, who works for who in the food chain. The City Council works for the voters and John Danielson works for the City Council. John Danielson also stated that the job was too much for one person but in Stark's closing statements, he mentioned his staff is working hard and ready for the next step. Apparently none of his staff can do mundane work. For $40,000 and an hourly rate, I will do it!
Trust wrote on Jul 24, 2008 12:37 AM:The City Manager is going to go with firms he has worked with in the past because he knows that the firm is competent and can keep the city moving forward, later they can look for a firm that isn't known or has a reputation. Let's face it, we have no choice but to trust the City Managers judgement with most of the city hiring for now. We have to act quckly and effectively to get through the initial stages, going with a firm that the City Manager doesn't know could be finicially costly if the firm can't do the job. Give the CM some breathing room, $40,000 sounds reasonable, and he seems to know this firm can do the job. Time is critical, we don't have time in some cases to be a regular city.
EXPENSE wrote on Jul 24, 2008 6:55 AM:I LIKE THE FACT THAT MS. SWANSON WANTS TO HAVE AN ACCOUNTING OF FUNDS SPENT TO DATE, PERHAPS A REPORT AND ACCRUAL OF SPENDING BY THE CITY AT EVERY MEETING SHOULD TAKE PLACE, WE NEED TO KNOW THE SPENDING ON A DAILY BASIS TO AVOID COST OVERRUNS.
To Trust wrote on Jul 24, 2008 7:19 AM:You have been sold a bill of goods regarding trusting the city manager and the interim staffers he is bringing on - who have more loyalty to him than Wildomar.
These tactics are slick and deplorable. Don’t buy into all this false urgency to get things done in such a hurry. It only serves the interim people who are going to collect their large fees and swiftly move on, leaving the city to struggle with their misguided actions.
Your trust is sadly misplaced regarding Danielson and the council who is supposed to be monitoring his actions.
Lance wrote on Jul 24, 2008 7:20 AM:Does anyone on the Council know how much money has been spent so far, and how much money is left. Did Mr. Buster give us a $5 million check yet? If no then when? It's looking a little scary, someone on the Council needs to give some oversight and let the city manager understand the expectations of the Council.
Wildomarian wrote on Jul 24, 2008 7:43 AM:I think Gina is very negative about everything. When is she going to be part of the solution? She has friends on the council - talk to them. Did they ask questions about the expenditure? But instead she is always the grand standing-that turns people away.
Cabaret wrote on Jul 24, 2008 8:11 AM:Is the only money the city has in the bank right now the $500,000 we borrowed from Bank of America last month. If it is how much is left after bills and commitments. Remember,"Moeny makes the world go around, world go around etc".
Concerned One wrote on Jul 24, 2008 8:18 AM:I'm wondering why the people of Wildomar decided to incorporate? Do you like feuding and bickering? It appears they don't know the first thing of how a city operates in the beginning. With a start like this, what can be the outcome? Regards, C-1.
To Wildomarian wrote on Jul 24, 2008 8:40 AM:Gina Castanon had the courage to stand-up and ask the questions, which are on so many of Wildomar's residents minds - questions that sorely needed to be asked and for which the council and city staff provided no satisfactory answers.
The council came to the table last night with their decisions to spend another $73,000 + already made...and hang the public's concerns. They needed to be asked why no local firm had been considered or exactly what we are getting to all the money Steve Stark is getting as Finance Director.
We need more citizens to stand up and ask tough questions and insist on real answers. There is nothing negative about demanding the council provide us with honest answers to these questions.
Rip Off wrote on Jul 24, 2008 2:33 PM:It is good to see someone stand up and ask questions regarding spending. You would be amazed how cities work with your tax money on purchasing services. Do not be fooled this is a good ole boy network with careful wording in their bids to sole source vendors. If more tax payers stood up and investigated city spending you would find a lot of money going out the window that could be used for other projects. You as citizens trust these people to make the right decisions for you but who is watching them, certainly not the purchasing department - keep in mind the purchasing department is part of the city. The only check and balance is the citizens asking questions and demanding answers.
WildomarWatcher wrote on Jul 25, 2008 7:09 AM:Wildomar’s citizens need to keep a sharp watch on both the council and the interim consultants and staff that have been hired. It is the most positive, constructive thing we could contribute to Wildomar, and can’t start soon enough.
The elected city council members are far too inclined to take their direction for Danielson and Biggs rather than provide the oversight we had expected this council to exercise. Getting things done with expediency is a poor substitute for getting them done correctly and appropriately.
We need to call John Danielson’s bluff and go down to city hall and have a close, first-hand look at the financial records and the hiring processes that has been used to fill these interim positions. We need to see a precise accounting of all the expenditures and financial commitments made to date and a detailed budget based on the revised revenue estimates from the county and state.
It’s time for a serious reality check before the City of Wildomar finds itself in a financial disaster and a crisis precipitated by poor leadership.
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