Council Majority Ignores Findings by its Own Subcommittee

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Editor,

At the regular City Council meeting of Nov. 17, the City Council majority showed disrespect to City Treasurer Laura Parisi, Jim McBride, CPA, and the council subcommittee of Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow and Councilmember Toni Iseman.

Over the course of many months, Parisi completed two projects that were outside the scope of her employment. Upon successful completion, she submitted a request for compensation for the hours she had worked at the city’s request. Subsequently, a subcommittee of Dicterow and Iseman was appointed to review the invoice for appropriateness. The subcommittee asked McBride to review and comment. He did so and found that the invoice was appropriate for the tasks completed and that Parisi, also a CPA, had the special skills and experience required for the projects.

On Nov. 17, the subcommittee presented a recommendation to the full council to pay the invoice. In a display of poor taste and poor judgment, the other three council members asked for verification of the hours worked.

I was the elected city treasurer from 1982 to 2000 and I am aware that the city treasurer in addition to performing the city’s banking and administering its assessment districts, manages its portfolio of approximately $75 million, which has grown from the portfolio of $25 million that I managed. Obviously Parisi is above reproach.

The city has seven elected officials: five councilmembers, a city clerk and a city treasurer. None of these elected officials holds a higher position than the others. It was disrespectful to question the hours Parisi had worked when the matter had been fully vetted by the subcommittee and the independent CPA. I suggest that the City Council approve payment of the invoice at its next meeting and thank Parisi, McBride and the subcommittee for their work.

 

Susan Morse, former city treasurer

Laguna Beach

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