It seems like you have caused a bit of controversy in recent months, Mayor Gorden. Some information has slipped into the hands of the media that we suspect your administration would have preferred to not have publicized.
Mayor Gorden, we view your use of city funds to be irresponsible. The taxpayers foot the bill for your copious unused vacation days and lavish meals at some of our city’s finest dining establishments, according to reporting by The Plain Dealer columnist Mark Naymik.
Upon examining the issue, we feel that your spending is, in fact, blatant mismanagement and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
We are aware you have publicly defended your actions to both The Plain Dealer and the Cleveland Jewish News. We understand the need to keep the brand image of Beachwood alive and well, and sometimes that may include a nice lunch or two, though certainly not to the frequency and cost of your meals over the years.
We do believe it is appropriate to charge some lunches to the city.
For instance, is there a Westlake business owner thinking of moving his company’s operations to Commerce Park? Not a problem. We’ll call ahead and make the reservation for you at Maggiano’s ourselves. Business development is always a positive thing when executed properly, and a $90 lunch is a small price to pay, when compared to the benefits.
However, your expense reports show frequent lunches with other city officials and local politicians. We believe these meals should never be conducted on the taxpayers’ dime. That’s a lot to ask of them, considering that just three years ago, your administration pleaded for a 33% tax increase – and just narrowly got it, the Sun News reported.
Had voters known the increase would be used for such spending, we doubt it would have gotten the support it did.
Couldn’t a meeting with city officials and local politicians be held at city hall? If so, perhaps the expensed lunch could be avoided.
Many of your residents are upset, and it is disappointing that you are attempting to dismiss their concerns as nothing more than a distraction.
You have told the Jewish News that you’ll change. You’ve pledged to conduct more business at city hall.
Mayor Gorden, we ask you now to make good on the pledge you have made to your constituents.
Come back from lunch.
Jay Livingstone • Apr 16, 2014 at 5:08 PM
Can someone explain why prosecutor McGinty refuses to look into Mayor Gorden? The vacation day scam he pulled without anyone knowing until Mark Naymik exposed it was a $17k a year scam he pulled for more than a decade.
The worst part is that when Merle was forced to explain how he could cash in 100% of all vacation days as unused (to collect an extra $17K) when he did take vacation he admitted that he took time off in those years but didn’t have to use his vacation days because according to him over the course of the year he worked more than 2080 hours a year. However, when asked for the documentation of his time worked, he admitted he nor anyone else has every tracked the hours he worked.
How can this guy explain away his rational of being allowed to not use vacation days when he admitted taking vacation because he worked 2080 hours annually and then admit he has never tracked his time worked? Anyone with a brain knows this explanation doesn’t stand up but Merle never expected anyone to know about it. He knew his buddies on council would never call him out so he thought he was in the clear but he didn’t count on Mark Naymik and the PD to expose it.
Mr. McGinty, this is a scam that cost Beachwood $17k a year for a decade. Also, since it occurred in his last three years before his “retirement” in 2007, 2008 and 2009, starting in 2010 this scam increased his annual state funded retirement payouts by $13k a year and will continue to cost Ohio taxpayers an extra $13k for the rest of his life.
If you are going to use every resource of your office to aggressively go after rank and file police and fireman for when their offenses turn out to be minor offenses, why do you look the other way when Mayor Gorden, one of your politically connected friends pulls off a scam that already has cost taxpayers $200k and if it isn’t stopped will cost taxpayers another $150k?
You need to explain the inaction of the County Prosecutors office.
Changeinbeachwood • Aug 26, 2013 at 4:59 PM
Congrats to the student newspaper for adding their voice to this issue. Keep asking hard questions and demand the Mayor answer them. For instance, ask him how he could cash in 100% of all allotted vacation and personal days in years he visited his daughter in California. He has refused to answer this publicly and if he ignores the Beachwood HS student newspaper, it says a lot about him.
Keep on this issue!