Times: Hercules releases financial disclosure documents for consultants, staff
— by Jeffrey Wisniewski — 10 March 2011 — Comments Off
Tom Lochner reports…
More financial disclosure statements of Hercules consultants and employees have become available in recent weeks for public perusal at the front desk of City Hall.
But many consultants and contractors, including some who have been collecting annual six-figure fees from the city, have not filed a state Form 700 “Statement of Economic Interests” with the city clerk; it is not clear whether some of them were ever asked to file. [...]
The city’s hiring of expensive consultants has raised concern among residents who monitor Hercules’ budget problems. Under the conflict of interest code, the consultant’s “relevant department head” must complete a questionnaire to determine whether the consultant needs to submit the form. The questions relate to whether the consultant will make a governmental decision, serve in a staff capacity or equivalent, or manage public investments.