Councilor Mike Marchese has asked that the city council consider hiring an outside attorney to collect the $180,000 in longevity overpayments Mayor Carlo DeMaria received during the past five years.
Marchese is right on the mark making this request.
The city council which says nothing about Anthony DiPierro’s racism, has also said nothing about suing the mayor to have him return the $180,000.
Former City Councilor and Attorney Fred Capone has called the mayor’s longevity payments and the mayor’s acceptance of the $180,000, a fraud and a theft – terms the conservative Ca- pone does not tend to use with any kind of frequency.
In addition, Marchese has asked for Colleen Mejia and CFO Eric Demas to appear to have them inform the city council on exactly how they decided it was proper and right for the mayor to receive $40,000 a year when he was supposed be receiving $2,500.
Marchese wants to know how such a thing could come to pass – notwithstanding the confusion sewn by Mejia about the wording of the ordinance.
Demas and Mejia have to answer for their actions.
Their actions were in this matter are highly questionable and quite likely illegal, especially Demas not including the $40,000 payments being listed for all to see in the award winning city budget.
They will both pooh, pooh this effort by Marchese to nail the culprits.
However, it would appear these two are largely responsible for the longevity scam – labelled a fraud by Capone.
You can be sure there is no laughter being shared by these two DeMaria loyalists.
They know what they did. What the mayor received proves it.
Proving it beyond a doubt is that the mayor refused to take the payment this year.
That’s a sure sign that the longevity payment was, as Capone insisted, a fraud.
This isn’t about hoping the mayor will pay the money back.
This is about getting a lawyer forcing him in court to make the $180,000 payment.
Good work, Mike.