Handed “a difficult and joyless project” six months ago to secure a longshot federal grant to cover expensive health care costs, a city worker managed to haul in not just the $68,000 sought but an extra $85,000 in additional cash.
City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said one of his assistants, Jodi McGrane, showed an unusual amount of persistence and innovation and worked hard to bring in the money. Klocko said McGrane was asked to try to secure reimbursements for health care costs through the Early Retiree Reimbursement Act.
“Jodi took on the challenge,” Klocko said, and pulled together all sorts of information from many sources to apply for the cash. Click here for the full story.
*****
Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Showing posts with label comptroller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comptroller. Show all posts
March 12, 2011
July 25, 2010
How low can you go?
The Democratic primary fight for state comptroller has dissolved into one of the sleaziest, most vile political brawls that I've seen in decades of watching candidates claw for public office.
Let's start with this classic hit piece, put together by Waterbury Mayor Mike Jarjura's campaign that's challenged Lembo for the office:
For more, you can just go to Jarjura's "LemboLies" website. Click here.
I'll leave it to Democratic voters to decide whether that's so vicious that the man who put it out there should be sent packing or not.
Lembo, the endorsed candidate, has a website here where you can learn more about him.
And here is a statement Lembo's campaign put out last night after seeing a mailer that Jarjura must have sent to every Democrat in the state:
Statement of Democratic Party-endorsed candidate for state Comptroller Kevin Lembo on negative direct mail and internet website launched by his opponent today.
“I am shocked, and frankly, appalled by the distortions and lies, and the juvenile nature of the direct mail and website that the Mayor of Waterbury launched today against my campaign.
“Connecticut is facing an almost $4 billion budget deficit. We are competing here to be the Comptroller of the State of Connecticut, and to administer a $19 billion budget. The Mayor’s campaign strategy is to use copyrighted music for a cartoon campaign hit? What kind of debate on the issues is this?
“Some of my opponents’ claims are just bizarre. But let me be clear – I have never lied to the people of Connecticut or distorted my record.
“I was given the title of Assistant Comptroller by Nancy Wyman, and she can verify it. My work in the Comptroller’s office focused, in part, on convincing the legislature to increase contributions to the Rainy Day Fund, and I am proud of that effort.
“I have never proposed a $3 billion increase in state spending, ever. Having been a home owner in three states, I am unaware of any personal credit issues or unpaid bills.
“And yes, I did work for the former Republican Lieutenant Governor of New York in the late-90s. But my opponent fails to reveal that the Lt. Governor also became a Democrat in very short order, and ran against her former running mate: Republican George Pataki. I didn’t (and still don’t) agree with every policy position Betsy takes. But for the record, she is probably less conservative than the Mayor of Waterbury; she actually supports a woman’s right to choose.
“If it has been a secret to the Mayor of Waterbury that the Office of the Healthcare Advocate is funded through the insurance fund (I know he was absent for that vote as a member of the General Assembly), then he is woefully uninformed. The OHA, like the Banking and Insurance Departments, is funded by an assessment on the regulated industry. I make no apologies for helping consumers save $20 million dollars since taking office. My record of accomplishment is pretty clear.
“I am enormously proud of the work I’ve done in Connecticut and New York advocating for health care and better budget practices. It is truly unfortunate that the Mayor of Waterbury and his cronies think that singing songs and distorting my record is more important than talking about their own.”
I may have missed something -- probably have, in fact -- but the worst thing I can find that Lembo has done to Jarjura is to point out the Waterbury mayor helped hire former Gov. John Rowland to do economic development in his hometown. He has also said that Jarjura is anti-choice on abortion and was involved with the group that led the fight against gay marriage in Connecticut. As far as I know, those claims are true.
*******
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Let's start with this classic hit piece, put together by Waterbury Mayor Mike Jarjura's campaign that's challenged Lembo for the office:
For more, you can just go to Jarjura's "LemboLies" website. Click here.
I'll leave it to Democratic voters to decide whether that's so vicious that the man who put it out there should be sent packing or not.
Lembo, the endorsed candidate, has a website here where you can learn more about him.
And here is a statement Lembo's campaign put out last night after seeing a mailer that Jarjura must have sent to every Democrat in the state:
Statement of Democratic Party-endorsed candidate for state Comptroller Kevin Lembo on negative direct mail and internet website launched by his opponent today.
“I am shocked, and frankly, appalled by the distortions and lies, and the juvenile nature of the direct mail and website that the Mayor of Waterbury launched today against my campaign.
“Connecticut is facing an almost $4 billion budget deficit. We are competing here to be the Comptroller of the State of Connecticut, and to administer a $19 billion budget. The Mayor’s campaign strategy is to use copyrighted music for a cartoon campaign hit? What kind of debate on the issues is this?
“Some of my opponents’ claims are just bizarre. But let me be clear – I have never lied to the people of Connecticut or distorted my record.
“I was given the title of Assistant Comptroller by Nancy Wyman, and she can verify it. My work in the Comptroller’s office focused, in part, on convincing the legislature to increase contributions to the Rainy Day Fund, and I am proud of that effort.
“I have never proposed a $3 billion increase in state spending, ever. Having been a home owner in three states, I am unaware of any personal credit issues or unpaid bills.
“And yes, I did work for the former Republican Lieutenant Governor of New York in the late-90s. But my opponent fails to reveal that the Lt. Governor also became a Democrat in very short order, and ran against her former running mate: Republican George Pataki. I didn’t (and still don’t) agree with every policy position Betsy takes. But for the record, she is probably less conservative than the Mayor of Waterbury; she actually supports a woman’s right to choose.
“If it has been a secret to the Mayor of Waterbury that the Office of the Healthcare Advocate is funded through the insurance fund (I know he was absent for that vote as a member of the General Assembly), then he is woefully uninformed. The OHA, like the Banking and Insurance Departments, is funded by an assessment on the regulated industry. I make no apologies for helping consumers save $20 million dollars since taking office. My record of accomplishment is pretty clear.
“I am enormously proud of the work I’ve done in Connecticut and New York advocating for health care and better budget practices. It is truly unfortunate that the Mayor of Waterbury and his cronies think that singing songs and distorting my record is more important than talking about their own.”
I may have missed something -- probably have, in fact -- but the worst thing I can find that Lembo has done to Jarjura is to point out the Waterbury mayor helped hire former Gov. John Rowland to do economic development in his hometown. He has also said that Jarjura is anti-choice on abortion and was involved with the group that led the fight against gay marriage in Connecticut. As far as I know, those claims are true.
*******
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
February 5, 2010
City borrows millions for less than 1 percent interest
To cover the tab for the $7.4 million the city has spent on the downtown mall site so far, the city this week sold taxable notes to investors willing to loan the money.
When officials did it last year for the first time, note buyers agreed to accept 2.33 percent annual interest in return for taking on the taxable notes.
This week, when the city sold another one-year note to cover the debt, taxpayers caught an even bigger break.
Investors proved willing to take just .85 percent to loan the city the money for another year.
“It’s an excellent deal for the city,” said Matt Spoerndle, the city’s financial advisor.
Spoerndle said the city, which had four bidders, snagged the best rate any Connecticut municipality has yet secured.
The city typically sells tax-exempt bonds because they are used to pay for civic improvements that fall within the norm of municipalities, such as schools, roads and parks.
But when the city bought the mall for $5.3 million in 2005, it leaped into a commercial enterprise that required different handling than the city’s other ventures. It has spent an additional $2.1 million since to demolish the mall and pay lawyers and other outside experts.
The city initially loaned itself the money for the mall purchase from its healthy rainy day fund, but last year recognized the need to borrow the money elsewhere.
City Comptroller Glenn Klocko said last year the city could just keep rolling over one-year taxable note until something is done with the 17-acre Depot Square sit on North Main Street.
The nonprofit Bristol Downtown Development Corp. is working out an agreement with the Long Island-based Renaissance Downtowns to work on a plan for the site’s revitalization.
Klocko said the cheap rates the city got are a matter of timing and a reflection of Bristol’s solid credit rating.
That four bidders were interested, said Spoerndle, also shows how well investors regard Bristol.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
December 3, 2009
Comptroller's office wins budget award
The Government Finance Officers Association recently handed out a national award to the city comptroller's office for its presentation of the city's yearly budget.
Calling the award "a significant achievement," the association said the honor "relfects the commitment" of the cit and its staff "to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting."
The association recognizes exceptional budgets that manage to serve as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, policy and a communications device.
The nonprofit association gave represents more than 17,600 government finance professionals in North America.
Bristol's award singled out a handful of individuals for special recognition for their work on the 2009-2010 fiscal year budget: David Bertnagel, chief accountant; Robin Manuele, assistant comptroller; Tina Bunnell, accountant; and Jodi McGrane, assistant to the comptroller. The comptroller is Glenn Klocko.
The GFOA awards are the only national ones for governmental budgeting.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Calling the award "a significant achievement," the association said the honor "relfects the commitment" of the cit and its staff "to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting."
The association recognizes exceptional budgets that manage to serve as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, policy and a communications device.
The nonprofit association gave represents more than 17,600 government finance professionals in North America.
Bristol's award singled out a handful of individuals for special recognition for their work on the 2009-2010 fiscal year budget: David Bertnagel, chief accountant; Robin Manuele, assistant comptroller; Tina Bunnell, accountant; and Jodi McGrane, assistant to the comptroller. The comptroller is Glenn Klocko.
The GFOA awards are the only national ones for governmental budgeting.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
October 29, 2009
Details on projected $8 million shortfall next fiscal year
Read this memo to see how the city comptroller's office determined that the next fiscal year, which starts next July, could pose a major headache for City Hall and taxpayers.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
October 31, 2007
Comptroller's office wins an award it always gets
Press release from Mayor William Stortz:
In a prepared release, Mayor William T. Stortz announced that The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has given the City of Bristol, Connecticut the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.
The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. Mayor Stortz said, “ In order to receive the budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well a City’s budget serves as: a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device.” Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories to receive the award.
For budget including fiscal periods 2005, 1069 entities received the award. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.
When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having achieved the award.
Stortz said, “We are very proud to announce that David J. Bertnagel, Chief Accountant and Jodi A. McGrane, Assistant to the Comptroller have received this Certificate of Recognition.
They, along with the rest of the Comptroller Department epitomize the dedication, the conscientious of our staff, as we all strive to provide a high level of service and to create an even better Bristol.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
In a prepared release, Mayor William T. Stortz announced that The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has given the City of Bristol, Connecticut the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.
The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. Mayor Stortz said, “ In order to receive the budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well a City’s budget serves as: a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device.” Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories to receive the award.
For budget including fiscal periods 2005, 1069 entities received the award. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.
When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having achieved the award.
Stortz said, “We are very proud to announce that David J. Bertnagel, Chief Accountant and Jodi A. McGrane, Assistant to the Comptroller have received this Certificate of Recognition.
They, along with the rest of the Comptroller Department epitomize the dedication, the conscientious of our staff, as we all strive to provide a high level of service and to create an even better Bristol.
*******
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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