CPOA Blasts Sherwood Over Claims
By Editor at December 15, 2023 | 8:00 am | Print
In a message on their website, CPOA President, Nicholas Mercier blasts Phil Sherwood for what he calls blatant lies regarding the budget. Mercier’s claims stem from the Sherwood’s response to recent criticism over claims made by O’Brien and other members of the Common Council that the position of Community Organizer, created earlier this year and currently held by Briggette Brown, would be grant funded.
“Sherwood’s story keeps changing.” Mercier said today, “In two separate articles in today’s Herald he makes completely contradictory claims.” In a post on www.cpoanb.org, Mercier steps through the various claims made by Sherwood. “He is simultaneously trying to claim that from the start the position was part of the Mayor’s budget and that they position was going to be grant funded. He alleges that Alderman Giantonio should have known that position was not grant funded when at the same time Alderman DeFronzo chastised Giantonio on the Council floor when Giantonio argued against the creation of the position.”
YouTube footage from the October 4th meeting does confirm that DeFronzo, as late as October was claiming that Brown’s position would be funded through grants. It is unclear as to whether or not Alderman DeFronzo, along with the rest of the Common Council, were misled as to the source of funding for Brown’s position.
Sherwood, according to the Herald article, claimed that Alderman Giantonio should have “read the budget,” another claim that Mercier criticizes. In his posting Mercier writes, “As early as May I have been criticizing the utter lack of transparency in the Mayor’s budget.” When asked to elaborate he said, “In years past the budget included a detailed personnel roster. You could see how much each municipal employee was being paid both in terms of wages and benefits. You had detailed, line item descriptions for each department’s budget. The Mayor’s budget had none of that. It was my first warning sign that we were in for a rough year.”
Review of the Mayor’s budget, which is posted on the city website, confirms that there was no clear way for Alderman Giantonio, or any other Alderperson, to assess whether or not Brown’s position would be granted funded or funded from the general fund.
Mercier was also quick to point out that Sherwood’s claims behind the motivation for not seeking grant funding do not hold up to scrutiny. “He is saying they were afraid it would take too long, but we are still just now getting relief funds for Winter Storm Alfred. Budget offices are used to waiting for money.” He added, “Besides, his statement directly conflicts what the Herald was told by a HUD official, that the city was advised any application would likely be denied because of a potential conflict of interest.”
