By: Diane Benjamin

Some members of the Bloomington City Council worship the ground David Hales walks on.  They practically pant when he speaks.  David Sage is REALLY good at stopping criticism of anything Hales does – watch a few meetings on-line and you can see for yourself.

Every year Hales’ salary is set in Executive Session, those secret meetings where the public isn’t allowed to know what happens.  The Official Minutes procedure has even been changed so direct quotes from YOUR elected officials aren’t recorded – yes they did it on purpose.  Now minutes can be released without YOU knowing who did what and who voted to raise Hales’ salary.

In 2013 David Hales was paid, with benefits, $229,654.  Hales is now due for another evaluation.

Besides the Coliseum being a fiscal disaster for taxpayers, complete with bogus reporting and no over-sight by the City of the TAXPAYER owned asset, Hales has failed in other areas.  The potted plants who believe Hales is doing a great job live in an alternate universe.  Hales has FAILED to protect taxpayer money:

Every year the City hires auditors because they are required by law to do so.  These auditors are paid at least $150,000, probably more, to audit the City and the Coliseum (not including concessions).  The auditors prepare a report to the City and the Council on things they find troubling.  The report for the statements as of 4/30/2014 is posted here:  http://www.cityblm.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=7565

Since I am a CPA and much of it is difficult to understand if you aren’t a CPA, below I will summarize what they found.  The auditors have reported many of these for numerous years!  Your overpaid City Manager has done nothing to fix the reported problems and protect YOUR money.  If David Hales worked in the private sector, he would have been fired years ago.  Instead, the potted plants fawn over him and give him big raises.  Think some of the pots need to go?

Finding #1:  (See page 11)

2014-001 – No reconciliation between cash collected and the number of towed cars that are released (Repeat of prior year finding 2013-001, 12-1, 11-2 and 10-2)

Effect: Potential misappropriation of assets.

What this means is that cash collected from citizens to get their towed car back can be stolen very easily because no procedures exist to prevent it!  The auditors have been saying the same thing to the City since 2010.

Finding #2  (See page 12)

2014-002 – Inadequate segregation of duties over water receipts and billing (Repeat of prior year findings: 2013-002, 12-2, 11-4, 10-5, 09-6, and 08-9)

Effect: Potential misappropriation of assets

What this means is employees can manually change water bills whenever they want.  They can reduce their bills, or their friend’s bills, and nobody will ever find out!  They can take cash from a customer and pocket it without anybody knowing.  NOTE:  This has been in reported to the City by the Auditors since 2008!

Finding #3  (See page 13)

2014-003 – Inadequate system of controls over the preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (Repeat of prior year findings: 2013-
003, 12-3, 11-5, 10-6, 09-8 and 08-11)

Effect: Potential material misstatement of the financial statements.

Cause: Lack of oversight by management.

The one pertains to the Coliseum.  If you are a long time reader you already knew the statements created by Central Illinois Arena Management (CIAM) contained fiction.  Here’s the proof, the auditors have been telling the City the same thing since 2008!

Finding #4 (See page 14)

Condition: During the audit we noted that the City failed to obtain HUD’s approval of a Request for Release of Funds (RROF) prior to expending CDBG funds.

Effect: Obligating or expending funds prior to receipt of HUD’s RROF may restrict future funding from HUD.

Cause: The cause of the condition appears to be due to oversight by management

The City spent grant money before it was awarded to them!  Since David Hales creates the agenda for City Council meetings, it’s his fault.  At least this isn’t a multi-year problem.

These finding reflect a total disregard for you!

The Dixon Illinois theft by an employee meant nothing to David Hales.  He continues to allow employees to possibly do the same things here.

What else is he failing to oversee?

Since Hales is now a Renner pawn, nothing will happen unless the citizens demand it.

Schmidt, Painter, and Hauman can be replaced in April.  Somebody who cares about taxpayers can get elected from Ward 4.  This would mean 4 more votes against Renner and Hales and FOR the taxpayers.  That would flip the Council.

Renner announced right after his election that he was raising money for future candidates.  It’s time the citizens had a voice.  Replacing aldermen with ones who actually represent their ward is the first step.

The citizens of Bloomington got 3 tax increases last year in addition to fee increases.  More are planned.  If you are ready to fight, it’s going to take money.  A group of local citizens have formed a PAC to change the Bloomington City Council.

Details here:  www.netpac.me

We need to throw a NET over local government.  A contribution is going to be way cheaper than the tax increases!  Elections are coming up fast, please contribute and spread the word.  We need FED UP citizens willing to put their money where their anger is.