Saturday, March 31, 2012

Public Safety Finance Director Resigns

The chief financial officer for Indianapolis' Department of Public Safety, Thomas Michalak, has resigned to take a new job in state government after his boss, Director Frank Straub, recently announced the agency is facing a $15 million shortflall in its budget and has been under pressure from a number of city-county councilors to resign. Straub told the Star that Michalak's departure has nothing to do with his or the agency's financial woes. "He resigned for a new position," Straub said in an email. "No psycho-drama." A council committee hearing on Straub's reappointment adjourned last week after a several hour hearing without taking any action. Straub's future appears in doubt after a number of Republican councilors have gone public with their dissatisfaction with him remaining in the position. According to one of those councilors, Jack Sandlin, Mayor Ballard would be willing to move forward without Straub, a view that conflicts with the mayor's public statements of support for his embattled public safety director.

1 comment:

CircleCityScribe said...

How many resignations has Straub seen in his short two years? -Let's see, Straub took over Crime Stats from the police (they are a police function) and a short time later the Crime State commander left.....wonder if that had anything to do with refusing to falsify crime stats?

Assistant Chief resigned and there was a You Tube video that intimated Straub's inappropriate behavior stonewalling crime stats!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mm9HXD4cXA&context=C4eb1f01ADvjVQa1PpcFPr0ayzQKVqPlmkXFVIxrQMPfpiMqjgKW4=

Doesn't a financial director deal with numbers, much like a crime stats director? I think this is a clear indication that someone is leaving due to scrutiny on Straub's finances and shows need for an AUDIT!

Time for us to "get a clue" from these signals and correct a problem.