If you don't know, make it up

On the heels of a 2 million dollar debacle in the City Collector's office, City Administrator Shawn Cadime is still horribly unknowledgeable about the systems in the Collector's office. At the last City Council meeting, Councilor Mike Lund explained a simple, safe, and efficient, method of check depositing that he uses at his own business. The method sounded like a great idea. In the following clip, Shawn Cadime explains to Mike Lund why we cannot and are not using a system like the one Lund described.



Not only did Cadime have no clue about what was going on in the Collector's office, he clearly made up a story as to why the office could not use the system Lund recommended. At a time when particular attention was need in the Collector's office, the City Administrator had no idea. I cannot say this enough....AGAIN - 2 million dollars was just found laying around the office and, it is obvious from this clip, Cadime didn't do any follow up. At least Treasurer Grab was paying attention.

Open the Mail Already!

During Bob's Correia's (one!) term in office, he promoted a, seemingly underqualified, city employee to the role of City Collector, a potentially $88,000/year job. I had my doubts about her promotion but in the end thought "how hard can it be to open mail and collect money?" My question was answered at the City Council meeting on Tuesday. Apparently it is so hard to open mail that the Collector's Office has not done it in TWO MONTHS. This means our payments for excise taxes, property taxes, water bills, etc. have not been processed.

Thousands of dollars that could have been in the bank earning interest were/are just sitting in envelopes in an increasing pile at the Collector's Office. Their job is to collect and deposit payments....what exactly was the entire office doing, if not this?

How could this go on for two months before anyone noticed or addressed the issue? Leo Pelletier had to point it out at the council meeting on Tuesday. The Collector's Office is notoriously and chronically incompetent (see the time my house almost got taken away because of the Collector's Office). This situation will be particularly egregious if anyone is getting late notices for bills while their payment is sitting on someone's desk in the Collector's Office.

The Collector's Office needs to be overhauled, and if not fired, taught how to open a freaking envelope and deposit a check in the bank.

*Somewhat related story. A relative of mine called the Collector's Office a few weeks ago He was trying to pay his water bill online but the city bill pay service kept telling him that the bill number didn't exist. The Collector's Office employee told him that they could not help him because they don't have internet and that the supervisor was out of the office so she couldn't help either. They clearly don't want our money!