METHUEN - City Councilor Joseph Leone has filed a resolution seeking reimbursement of more than $170,000 in undocumented overtime paid under a federal grant to five high ranking police officials and the police chief's former secretary.
"(Taxpayers) deserve to see somebody attempt to get this money back," Leone said yesterday.
Leone said he was "enraged" when he read an article in The Eagle-Tribune Tuesday detailing the undocumented overtime pay and stipends paid to Chief Joseph Solomon, Deputy Chief Joseph Alaimo, Capt. Kristopher McCarthy, Sgt. Michael Havey and Lt. Kevin Mahoney over a five-year period. Also listed was Solomon's former secretary, Patricia Giarrusso, who was paid $45,934 to administer the law enforcement grant.
The Eagle-Tribune obtained a Dec. 13, 2007, letter from the U.S. Department of Justice Department to the city saying the six Police Department employees have not filed sufficient documents to prove they worked the hours they were paid for.
Of the $192,239.03 spent on overtime and stipends for these six employees, $170,699 could not be justified - and the Justice Department is again demanding repayment from the city.
"These officers should be suspended without pay and somehow they should pay us back," councilor Jeanne Pappalardo said yesterday.
"These officers have overstepped their bounds and someone has to pay other than the taxpayers of Methuen."
Other city councilors, who had not yet seen Leone's proposed resolution, said they want to discuss the issue at Monday's meeting.
"It's important we stick together as a council and say something should be done," councilor Larry Giordano said. "Some type of action should be taken, either to try to recoup the money or a suspension (for those officers)."
Giordano said he did not know if the city can legally recoup the money from employees but he would support some resolution by the council.
"I'm not sure what we're allowed to do to get money back from city employees," said City Council Chairman Phil Lahey. "I don't know what the legal ramifications are. Absolutely it should be discussed. The City Council needs to find out what we can do and what we can't do."
Councilor Stephen Zanni agreed the money should be recouped.
"Why should the taxpayers be paying back that money if something was done wrong?" Zanni said. "That's a tremendous amount not accounted for."
Councilor John Cronin said he supports Leone's resolution, but will not be voting on it because his son is suing Solomon and Alaimo claiming he was forced to resign from the department.
"Certainly the city taxpayers should not be responsible for paying the money back," Cronin said. "My personal opinion is some action needs to be taken. They should be made to pay the money back, but that's not in the realm of the City Council."
Collectively, the six officials earned $192,239.03 in payments through the federal Weed and Seed grant program, according to the Justice Department. Of that, the Justice Department said, just $21,540 could be justified through documents provided by the Police Department. That leaves $170,699 in questionable overtime earnings.
The officers earned the money from 2001 to 2005 for their work in the Arlington Neighborhood. Giarrusso was paid to be the grant administrator. Solomon and Alaimo earned overtime through the grant in 2001, before they were promoted to their current positions. The chief and deputy chief are not eligible for overtime.
City Councilor Debbie Quinn said the city has only heard one side of the story in this case. She imagines the officers and Giarrusso will obtain lawyers and appeal the federal grant decision.
"The burden is on them now to prove their innocence," Quinn said. "If they're found responsible, let the chips fall where they may. It's still America. They have the right to dispute this."
The City Council meets Monday at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall at City Hall, 41 Pleasant St.
