A07, Westchester Progressive Party criticizes Broadview Westchester Water Agency [W]

Westchester Progressive Party is raising the issue of the Broadview Westchester Joint Water Agency.

Critics of the water agency suspect that it's a sweetheart deal for Don Sloan, one of the two employees, and the guy who has billed for a large amount of overtime.

Proviso Herald (David Weese):

[Trustees Rick] Fox and [Bill] Buikema contend no audits have been done on the agency in years. And Buikema said when he examined agency employees' time cards, 38 percent of the overtime paid over the past four years was paid without a supervisor signing off on it. Buikema said records show that in fiscal year 2003-2004, $28,603.88 in overtime was paid. In fiscal year 2004-2005, $34,618.48 in overtime was paid. In fiscal year 2005-2006 30,793.77 in overtime was paid.

The village's budget only allocates $15,000 per year for overtime. Buikema and Fox said that since they began asking questions last year, overtime has decreased -- $14,468.20 as of March for the fiscal year 2006-2007, which ends in May.

Westchester Progressive Party (which includes Fox) sent the following press release:

Changes sought for joint water agency

Nearly two years after the Westchester Board of Trustees voted unanimously to require Trustee Luciano to report back to the board on actions taken by the Broadview Westchester Joint Water Agency, he continues to resist change.

According to an article in the April 11 issue of the Proviso Herald, “ Luciano said former Mayor John Sinde used to make the reports to the board, and that it was now Gattuso's responsibility to make those reports.”

During committee session, Mr. Luciano objected to language requiring him to report back to the board stating, “I’m not anybody’s messenger and I don’t intend to do that.”

This Agency controls Westchester ’s supply of water. Its mismanagement and lack of transparency and oversight is alarming. Mr. Luciano has served on the Joint Agency/Commission for nearly two decades, including his current role as treasurer. Even Mr. Gattuso admits to the Agency’s shoddy performance during Luciano’s term in his conversation with the Proviso Herald saying that when he came on the commission two years ago, he inherited a mess.

Some of that “mess” includes:

* Questionable, possibly illegal payouts
* Board members/officers receiving pay for their roles on the Commission despite the original charter stating that none would receive compensation
* Unchecked, unjustified Over Time for patronage work
* Failure to have a financial audit for the last decade
* $15,000 budgeted for board member junkets funded by water fees
* $30,000 annually to pay for a lobbyist
* A Treasurer saying he doesn’t pay the bills or see the checkbook
* Mr. Luciano’s refusal to provide regular reports to the Village Board – despite a law requiring this action