Council urges mayor to suspend officials

Republican, The (Springfield, MA) - April 2, 2003

Author/Byline: PETER GOONAN; O'SHEA, STAFF, The Republican (Springfield, MA)

Edition: Springfield
Section: News
Page: B01
Some councilors questioned Mayor Michael J. Albano's continued silence on the indictments handed down in the federal corruption probe.
SPRINGFIELD - The City Council yesterday unanimously called for the suspension without pay of the director of the Massachusetts
Career Development Institute and the payroll administrator one day after they were indicted as part of a federal corruption probe.
In a related matter, a joint committee of the council and the School Committee agreed yesterday to pursue a plan for a School
Department takeover of the embattled job training agency.
Councilors yesterday sent a letter to Mayor Michael J. Albano calling for the unpaid suspension of institute director Gerald A. Phillips and
payroll administrator Jamie Dwyer. They were among four people indicted Monday for a scheme to dole out no-show jobs, according to
federal prosecutors. Both pleaded innocent to charges.
Councilors said that a state law specifically empowers the mayor to suspend employees under indictment for misconduct in office.
"My colleagues and I are trying to reassure public trust and act within the law," Councilor Domenic J. Sarno said. "If the allegations are
false, that will come out, and they will receive what is due retroactively."
Albano, who appointed Phillips, has not commented on the indictment and again referred questions to City Solicitor Peter P. Fenton, who
said the councilors' letter and the status of the two indicted employees are under review.
Sarno and some other councilors questioned the mayor's continued silence on the issue.
"Right now, the ship is rudderless," Sarno said. "For such a media savvy mayor, the silence is deafening now."
Council President Daniel D. Kelly has scheduled a meeting 5 p.m. tomorrow at City Hall to consider voting to order the mayor to suspend
the officials if action has not been taken.
"We need to send a clear message that public corruption will not be tolerated," Kelly said. "People are innocent until proven guilty. At the
same time, a grand jury has made a preliminary ruling and that has to be respected."
Fenton said no decision has been made on whether to suspend Phillips and Dwyer. Phillips is on leave, taking unused vacation time.
The council letter urges the city to stop any compensation, including vacation pay. Fenton said that issue is being reviewed.
Councilor Timothy J. Ryan said it looks like more indictments are coming, and the city must establish a policy and apply it uniformly.
"There has to be a system in place to deal with all this," Ryan said. "The mayor has to come to grips."
In terms of the future of the school, Councilor Bud L. Williams and school board members Marjorie J. Hurst and Thomas M. Ashe said
they favor putting the institute under School Department jurisdiction. But they need to know if they have support from their respective
boards.
Hurst and Ashe said School Department oversight of the facility at 140 Wilbraham Ave. will add authenticity to the agency that has been
battered by an FBI investigation and indictments.
Albano, speaking about the proposal, said, "I cannot imagine a scenario in which the School Department could be in a position to assume
the costs given the cuts they will mostly likely see in fiscal year 2004."
Schools Superintendent Joseph P. Burke said the institute has a budget of $5 million this year.
In addition to the alternative high school, the agency runs programs for adult education, basic literacy, job training, financial counseling
and English as a second language.
Burke said the School Department could run most of those programs.

Peter Goonan can be reached at pgoonan@union-news.com

Mary Ellen O'Shea can be reached at moshea@union-news.com
Index terms: AGENCY; INVESTIGATION; FEDERAL
Record: MERLIN_2226832
Copyright: Copyright, 2003, The Republican Company, Springfield, MA. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.