[imc-st.louis] City Grant Money Could be Focus of Audit

[Fitzdon at aol.com]

Gateway Green Alliance/Green Party of St. Louis
P.O. Box 8094, St. Louis MO  63156
314-727-8554  E-mail: fitzdon at aol.com  www.gateway-greens.org

For immediate release: October 25, 2007

Contact: Don Fitz, 314-727-8554; Daniel Romano, 771-8576

City Grant Money Could be Focus of Audit

October 25, 2007. St. Louis, Missouri.  Ever since Missouri State Auditor 
Susan Montee certified that there were sufficient signatures to force an audit of 
the City of St. Louis, the Green Party has been getting tips concerning what 
needs scrutiny.  It has received over 50 suggestions by phone or e-mail.  
Almost all tips are provided anonymously.

The Greens are putting together a list for when petitioners meet with 
representatives of the State Auditor in November.  A major concern is with how the 
City is handling federal and state grant money. 

"Tell them to look at how many minority and women contactors get hired to do 
lead remediation work" on caller suggested.  Federal guidelines require grant 
money to be spent in a non-discriminatory way.  The City lead program could 
have some explaining to do if it is not giving sufficient work to minority 
contractors. 

Based on another call, the Greens plan to ask the State Auditor to find out 
if anyone involved in selecting lead removal contractors has had private work 
done by a contractor who was selected.  One way of getting a "kickback" from a 
contractor would be for the contractor to do work on the person's home for a 
cost below what is usually charged.

One person communicated that large grants have "criteria and deliverables," 
which are goals that must be met as a condition for receiving federal funds.  
At this person's urging, the Greens will request an audit of whether goals have 
been met for HUD grants going to the Building Division.

Callers have alleged that the City is not abiding by many requirements for 
receiving grant money.  The Greens will ask the Auditor to investigate whether 
criteria for all grants are being met, whether contracted work from grant money 
has been based on competitive bids, if contracted work from grant money goes 
to the lowest responsible bidder, and, if not, who has received it.  

Apparently, some City residents believe that contracted work is based on 
favoritism.  This would violate federal guidelines.  There is a parallel concern 
that contracted jobs from grant money is not being done by persons certified 
and licensed to do the work.  The Greens plan to ask the auditor to investigate.

One person complained that "The US has a separation of church and state which 
prevents tax dollars from being used to bankroll private religious schools."  
This person charged that City funds are being used to pay nurses to work in 
parochial schools.  The Greens will ask the State Auditor to investigate 
whether this is occurring, and, if so, if it violates the First Amendment to the 
Constitution.

The decision to petition for an audit was sparked by the Green's not 
receiving requested information on use of childhood lead poisoning prevention dollars. 
 Many City residents share the worry.  One said, "Ask them to report on the 
number of hours that Health Department staff spend working in the community, 
the number of children tested for lead poisoning, and whether the number of 
children tested is in compliance with Missouri law."

Residents with additional suggestions for what the audit should examine can 
e-mail fitzdon at aol.com or call 314-727-8554.  

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