CEO Burrell Ellis nominates Richard Stogner for COO post
- 9/10/10
- Categorized in: DeKalb News
DeKalb County Chief Operating Officer Burrell Ellis announced Sept. 10 that he is nominating Richard Stogner to the position of chief operating officer of DeKalb County, subject to confirmation by the Board of Commissioners.
Ellis cited Stogner’s long career in public service in announcing the selection, saying that he is “well-known and recognized as a top-notch public administrator.” Stogner has served in top posts in various metro Atlanta governments, most recently in DeKalb where he was executive assistant the former CEO Vernon Jones, the top administrative position in the county during his time in office.
In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations, Stogner will focus on developing recommendations for filling current administrative vacancies, preparing the 2011 fiscal budget recommendations and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of county operations throughout DeKalb, according to Ellis.
Stogner’s appointment is for an initial term of one-year. He has asked not to receive compensation for his services during his term in office. “There may be a need for new management leadership in the COO’s office, but there is no emergency,” Stogner commented. “The people who really make the county work day-to-day are doing their jobs and the county is functioning. As such, I find no justification for a pension and a salary for my work as COO.”
“I am pleased that Richard Stogner has agreed to join our management team. In addition to his demonstrated public management expertise, his decision not to accept a salary is clear evidence of his integrity and commitment to DeKalb County. I look forward to working with him as soon as his appointment is confirmed by the Commission, something which I have asked them to do as expeditiously as possible,” Ellis said.
Commissioner Larry Johnson, presiding officer of the commission, endorsed the choice. “We need a nuts-and-bolts guy who knows DeKalb County government, top to bottom. With the budget and key hiring decisions before us, I would support Richard Stogner as COO on a one-year contract, and I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners as we move ahead,” he said.
machine.
This is the type of Government we now have in DeKalb County. CORRUPT ! Rumor has it that CEO Burell Ellis and Larry Johnson brought in some special pals to seed the "public speakers' and push people such as myself out of the process and they did.
Corruption is alive and well in DeKalb County.
Rise Up ! People and get rid of these Corrupt Commissioners.
And the GM Deal it ain't over with yet !
Keep and eye on Stogner and Ellis !
Richard Stogner the Fox is in charge of the Hen House again this time with the Commission's approval ? Scary !
http://dekalbofficersspeak.blogspot.com/2009/03/corruption-of-county-and-demoralization.html
http://dunwoodynorth.blogspot.com/2008/06/ajc-reports-that-dekalb-commissioners.html
AJC TY TAGAMI, 06/17/08
Three DeKalb County commissioners are calling for a criminal investigation of purchases that violated county and state policies intended to ensure competitive bidding and spending oversight.
Recent audits found that contracts for technology services in the administration of Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones routinely violated purchasing rules. None of the reviews found any wrong-doing, which was beyond their purview.
Commissioner Jeff Rader noted that the auditors lacked the power of a grand jury to subpoena witnesses under oath and that the grand jury that ended in March issued a report calling for further investigation. The grand jury's report recommended that a subsequent grand jury investigate "piecemeal" and "no bid" purchases and that the accounting firm KPMG, which conducted the audit for the county, be retained to advise them.
Rader said a criminal investigation would "clear the air." He said he will send a letter to District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming and the Superior Court chief judge asking that a special grand jury be empaneled. He said two other DeKalb commissioners — Elaine Boyer and Kathie Gannon — have signed the letter so far.
Asked about the letter, Jones issued a written statement through DeKalb spokesperson Kristie Swink that said the district attorney needed no "political persuasion."
"I have full confidence that her office will do what is proper, appropriate and in the best interest for the citizens of DeKalb County," the statement said.
A spokesperson for the district attorney said Keyes Fleming is not investigating the matter but has talked with county commissioners about it. Jada Hudspeth said Keyes Fleming told the commissioners she was reviewing "all of the documents that I currently have before deciding the next course of action."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIvyH8O7iss
Burrell has done nothing to improve relations with the school board:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAkNuaDkpYg
Burrell Ellis forgot the Vernon Jones/Richard Stogner added thousands of jobs to the county payroll, was involved in multiple financial-related scandals, and even hired Terrell Bolton. Yet Burrell brings back Richie Stogs for another go 'round. Get DeKalb, ready to dance the scandal dance, just like we did during the Vernon days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx4WfdtdSNM
Millions of taxpayer dollars spent by circumventing county policy. Shame on you Burrell Ellis.
http://repjacobs.com/2008/01/
DeKalb’s Costly Shenanigans Should Be A Crime
January 27, 2008
Audit reports aren’t what I would call “pleasure reading,” but they are necessary reading for elected officials like me who care about the way your tax dollars are spent. You can learn a lot from an audit report. For example, consider this passage from a June 25, 2007 KPMG audit report on the spending practices of the DeKalb County Government:
“We reviewed the purchasing and contracting procedures relative to Information System (IS) consulting services. We noted that there were numerous purchases that were required to be competitively bid in accordance with the County’s purchasing policy, that were not bid. The County’s policy states that purchases in excess of $50,000 should be competitively bid except if there is a Georgia State Contract or Federal Contract covering such purchase. The County’s Purchasing and IS Department did not solicit competitive bids on several purchases in excess of $50,000 when there were no applicable Georgia State or Federal Contracts. In addition, the County’s purchasing policy requires the Board of Commissioners’ approval when a total contract exceeds $100,000. Relative to the IS Department’s use of consulting services, on numerous occasions no such Board of Commissioners approved contracts could be located.”
That’s a mouthful, but here is what it means in plain English: There is a state law that requires the DeKalb County Government to perform a competitive bidding process whenever the value of goods or services it is seeking to obtain exceeds $50,000, and to obtain approval by majority vote of the county commission whenever the value of goods or services it is seeking to obtain exceeds $100,000. For certain technology consulting contracts, the county administration has been doing neither.
That’s bad news, but it gets worse. DeKalb County officials, including the county’s highest ranking non-elected administrator, Richard Stogner, have been approving purchases in amounts like $49,000 — just below the competitive bidding threshold — to the same vendors for the same services over and over and over again. These purchases are intentionally designed to skirt the competitive bidding and commission approval requirements.
In fact, county officials have paid a select group of vendors more than $22 million in flagrant violation of competitive bidding safeguards. These safeguards are in place to ensure that taxpayers receive the best services at the lowest possible cost. They are designed to thwart the practice of giving high-priced sweetheart deals to favored vendors.
I was astonished to learn that violating the competitive bidding and commission approval safeguards is not a crime. That’s why I have drafted, introduced, and am planning to work toward passage of House Bill 922 during this year’s legislative session. HB 922 will make this official misconduct a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine, jail time, or both.
The Audit Committee of the DeKalb County Commission, chaired by Commissioner Elaine Boyer, is investigating the failure by county administrators to comply with state competitive bidding laws. As is the case with many things in our “strong CEO” county government, there is only so much our elected commissioners can do to rebuke county administrators who have run amok. Thanks to HB 922, however, any future efforts to skirt competitive bidding safeguards can be prosecuted as a crime and appropriately handled as a fraud on the taxpayers.
The Champion
Aug. 6, 2008
Official suggests audit of tech company that received $2.8M
by Andy Phelan
andy@dekalbchamp.com
A top government official at the center of controversial overspending on technology consultants, said a company that received more than $2.8 million on a $50,000 contract from DeKalb County should be audited.
According to documents obtained through open records, G4 Enterprises Inc., one of a dozen technology firms flagged in an independent audit as “grossly overpaid” by DeKalb County between 2004-2008, reported annual revenue of $5,000 each year in 2004, 2005 and 2006 on its business license applications.
But check disbursement records, also obtained through open records, shows that the firm received more than $2.2 million in payments from DeKalb during that time span.
In all, G4 was paid $2.8 million from 2004 to 2008, but records show it had just one $50,000 contract in 2004 that was automatically renewed for two years. In Jan. 2008, the board of commissioners approved a contract to rehire G4, and then fired them in May “due to non-performance.”
Executive Assistant Richard Stogner, who answers directly to CEO Vernon Jones, approved many of the payments to technology firms, including G4, which led to more than $22 million spent that circumvented county law. The payments resulted in the Information Systems Department overshooting its 2006 budget by $1.4 million.
When asked to comment on payments made to G4 and its reported annual revenue, Stogner, who defended many of the payments as legitimate because G4 and other companies had federal and state contracts, said that “doesn’t sound right.”
“I’d audit their [G4] books,” said Stogner. “Where’s all that revenue we paid you?”
Numerous calls made to G4’s Chief Executive Officer David Gallemore for comment have not been returned. But on its Web site one of the company’s goals is “doing what we said we were going to do in an ethical matter at all times.”
G4, originally hired in 2004 to provide technology consultants for various projects, has offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Birmingham and Washington, D.C., according to its Web site.
Also disclosed in the open records report was that G4 did not have a county or municipal license to conduct business here in 2008.
However records show the company did have a valid business license in Clarkston for 2007, but did not have one for 2008. Business licenses are required for tax purposes. If a business has a license in any one of DeKalb’s cities, it also allows them to do business in the county.
Through a spokeswoman, Finance Director Michael Bell said G4 had a license in Clarkston, but city clerk Tracy Ashby said she had no record of a business license for the firm in 2008.
Stogner also indicated that it is his understanding that to do business in the county you must have a DeKalb business license.
“I assume anyone whose doing business here should have a license,” he said. “Again, sounds like it should be audited.”
The company was paid more than $65,000 by the county in 2008, but there is no record of it holding a valid business license in DeKalb.
Stogner approved many of the questionable contracts and purchases by pushing through payments to particular vendors in a process dubbed “Kiss and Ship,” said independent auditor KPMG in a report issued in March.
“Employees within the contracts department said they would receive fully executed contracts with a memo from the executive assistant [Stogner] requesting a number be assigned to the contract,’ said KPMG Managing Director John C. Sullivan.
“Employees called these informally Kiss and Ship,” said Sullivan. “Pay the invoice and send it out.”
In G4’s case, in 2006 on a $50,000 annual contract, the firm received a $147,000 check on April 20, 2006, in three payments of $49,350, $49,920 and $47,840.
Two months later on June 6, 2006, G4 received five payments -- $52,269, $6,130, $49,749, $49,749, and $52,269 -- totaling $210,196.
Known as “bid-skirting” or “splitting” purchase orders, the practice is used to achieve lower dollar limits either to avoid the bidding process or laws that require the approval of elected officials, such as a board of commissioners.
In DeKalb County’s case, all contracts and purchases greater than $50,000 must be competitively bid, and all contracts and purchases more than $100,000 must first receive board approval.
Contracts and purchases over $50,000 do not have to be formerly bid if the vendor has existing contracts with the state of Georgia or the federal government at the time of purchase.
According to Finance Department records, G4 had a federal contract, but that does not preclude them from having a county contract when it’s doing business with DeKalb.
While Finance Director Bell indicated through a spokeswoman that G4 was doing other work for the DeKalb Water and Sewer Department and the county Tax Assessor’s Office, only the 2004 technology contract could be documented.
Bell, through a spokeswoman, said he could not answer any follow up questions because he was advised by the Law Department not to speak with The Champion reporter due to a potential criminal investigation by the district attorney.
The open records disclosure comes as District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming is still exploring the possibility of convening a special grand jury to investigate the IT contracts and possibly others.
CEO Jones and Stogner continue to insist that the independent audit by KPMG found no wrongdoing but the firm said they were not asked to find intent. KPMG also said they do not under the law have the subpoena power needed to conduct an in-depth investigation.
“We’re still trying to evaluate and determine how broad the problem before commenting prematurely,” said Keyes Fleming through spokeswoman Jada Hudspeth.
Then March-April seating of the DeKalb County grand jury recommended a future “investigation of both piecemeal and no-bid purchasing practices of DeKalb County Executive Assistant Richard Stogner.”
“The DA wants to see if this is a problem solely within the information systems department or whether other departments are involved as well,” said Hudspeth.