Cincinnati Hires Human Resources Chief From Scandal-Tainted Michigan County: Controversial $200,000 Payment In Detroit

Wayne County Mired In Scandal

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- City Manager Milton Dohoney said today he was "pleased to announce" the appointment of a Wayne County, Mich., official who will become Cincinnati's human resources director next month.  Dohoney's press release did not mention that Georgetta Kelly is joining his staff after exiting Detroit with newspaper headlines questioning her activities in county government.  The Free Press has reported Kelly signed off on a $200,000 severance payout to another county worker who voluntarily quit.  Apparently, there is a scandal unfolding about paying money to people who leave for other jobs or retire.   The flap that embroiled Kelly involves the CEO of Detroit Metro Airport.  Meanwhile, other union workers have been asked for wage concessions.  You can read about Cincinnati's new human resources directors entanglement  in the Detroit scandal by clicking here to see a Detroit Free Press story published Feb. 20 (yesterday).
The Free Press is owned by Gannett and is the Enquirer's sister newspaper. Here's a snippet from the story:

A county document obtained by the Free Press raises new questions about who signed off on the controversial $200,000 severance payment that sparked a scandal enveloping the administration of Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.  County Personnel Director Georgetta Kelly, who last week became the latest member of Ficano's inner circle to resign, clearly signed a document approving Turkia Awada Mullin's payout when she voluntarily resigned a county job late last summer to become CEO of Metro Airport.

Kelly announced last week that she is leaving her job to take another one out of state, becoming the fifth top county official to resign since a scandal erupted in September when the county acknowledged paying the severance.
Four other Ficano insiders have been fired and another demoted.

Dohoney said Kelly was an Air Force veteran, and had a masters in public administration from the University of Dayton.  He said the county government in Detroit had about 3,400 employees and 18 different union bargaining units.  Saod Dohoney:  "During her tenure [in Detroit] . . . Ms. Kelly provided leadership, direction and oversight of strategic human resources functions including policy development, implementation, and interpretation; talent management; employee/labor relations; and compensation and benefits.  She implemented the restructuring of the department it aling it with current Human Resources practices."


Here's some more information from the Wayne County deputy sheriff's union website that notes there have been federal indictments in the county:

Unless you have been out of the country for the last year you are well aware that the County of Wayne and its CEO are in hot water. Yesterday, two of Ficano’s appointees were charged with embezzlement by the Feds following an investigation which started with allegations of improper severance payouts, unsigned back door contracts and unlawful appointments to high paying jobs.

Through all of this a lot of members want to know how this will affect us. At the start of the negotiations the county asked us for 10 % concessions and an increase in health care costs. Throughout our answer has been no to concessions and health care increases. The county used a newly passed piece of legislation to impart a health care cost increase on us which we feel was improper. POAM filed an unfair labor practice charge against the county of Wayne for the increase in health care costs; the first pre-hearing date for the ULP is February 22nd. The County has been asked by POAM for information concerning their financial reports, retirement assessments and any other item that shows where all of Wayne Counties money is, so far the county has been reluctant to give up the information. Unlike other Wayne County unions, unless we know where the money is and the true financial status of the county there is no way we will entertain any offer of concessions from the county.

Today we have been told that the head of Personnel Georgetta Kelly has stepped down; we have also been informed that Mark Dukes, head of Labor Relations has stepped down. Mark Dukes has acted as the lead county negotiator in our contract talks so we have to wait and see who will take over that position. The next date scheduled for negotiations is also February 22nd at the POAM office.

As the county continues to fight allegations of wrong doings, we will continue to gather any and all information that will help us get the best possible contract for the membership