Brentwood resident Jim Pozzo did in June what the Brentwood Board of Aldermen voted down in October. He tried to recoup some of what former city administrator Chris Seemayer cost the city, according to the state audit of the city.
The city administrator and mayor are bonded. If they don’t perform “faithfully” and it costs Brentwood money, the city can file on the bond to recover what was lost.
Pozzo went to the bonding and insurance companies on behalf of the city, but was told he needed the city’s blessing.
“My thought was, a year ago, August of 2012, the board voted to consider a lawsuit against Seemayer, it failed. After that there was no discussion of it any more,” Pozzo said. “That’s when I started looking at the code that the officials are supposed to be bonded, and it’s to protect the citizens and the city.”
Seemayer resigned in March 2011, following a Brentwood Police investigation into Seemayer using his city credit card for gambling. The city was reimbursed for those losses, but not for other management decisions he made.
“In my view, the audit report coming out saying we violated a lot of state laws and city ordinances, then somebody didn’t perform properly, or faithfully,” he said. “That’s your investigation. It may not be criminal but it is against the state rules.”
Pozzo said Seemayer’s bond was for $100,000, so that’s the maximum the city could get on the bond.
Pozzo thinks the city will never file on the bond because of the medical benefits some of the aldermen and Mayor Pat Kelly took.
“Let’s say Seemayer said, ‘I told these guys they could have it,’ but they’re not supposed to have it, then that puts it on them, and I think that could be big trouble for them,” Pozzo said.
“Toohey was saying we have a slim chance (to successfully file on the bond),” Pozzo said. “I think there could be problems, that’s why they don’t want to file it.”
Just a thought on the Seemayer affair. When did our elected officials stop holding themselves to a higher standard of conduct? And when did the public become so complacent with the status quo? When do we put our collective foot down and demand better for the citizens of this city?
Mr. Ault, I could not agree more. But I wonder if people are truly complacent, or the antics of hiding administrative acts is not so stealth that people genuinely do not know. Until the Patch, and now under Doug Miner here, there has been an out pouring of serious dissatisfaction about ‘the good ole boys’ and lack of transparency in the way things are done in this administration. There is a meeting tonight re an update from the “Poor” review on the financial audit done last spring at Brentwood Recreation Center. I believe we need a forensic audit of both finances and procedural adherence to ordinances–before we really know anything. There is a systemic defect in City Hall that needs to be tackled. Thanks for your post.
Mr. Pozzo has struck a nerve at City Hall, and done so in the best interests of Brentwood Citizens. He did everything the Administration was supposed to, but did not. It is a matter of ADMINISTRATION keeping full disclosure of administrative conduct out of the bright light review==and Mr. Pozzo exposed this in his efforts. Mr. Pozzo, you are a superior voice for the people.