Thorn misses the point
I have thought about the thorn that was given to Mrs. Whirlie Byrd for bringing up the attorney general’s opinion regarding the executive committee of the CVB recommending a $12,000 pay raise for the Executive Director Nancy Carpenter, which she apparently started receiving immediately after that action. While I agree the Mrs. Byrd can be a distraction and apparently has a real problem with Mrs. Carpenter as the executive director, this is a case where I believe you missed the real problem.
Three members of the CVB board apparently made a decision to increase the pay for an employee of the CVB and did not present that to the whole board for action. What we don’t know at the time is when that action took place. The CVB board attorney stated that when the board approved the budget in August at their retreat it ratified that action. Now since I did not attend law school but as a laymen looking at the ethics and morality of this, if the executive director did in fact receive a pay raise based on the action of three members, then anything received prior to the budget being approved would be seriously in question as a legal action of the board and that the new salary would take effect in the new fiscal year. It amazed me that the attorney general in his opinion did everything but call this an illegal act.
It has amazed me that this board approves financials after the fact. The board does not approve a docket of claims prior to payment. Apparently the executive committee makes the decisions on what is a valid purchase and payment and reports to the board in the financials what they did and request ratification of their action. As a taxpayer and citizen of this community I expect better oversight by the whole board.
Berry Hinds
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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