More on McGehee

While searching for articles about brush fires in Daily News archives, I ran across this one from October 2005. Excerpt:

The bad news is he might have to shut down operations in the city if he doesn't get some financial help soon from the federal government.

"I asked for $300,000 24 days ago," McGehee said Monday. "And I still have not received one dime. I gave them a deadline. If they don't come up with the money by Friday at lunchtime, I'm going to put the keys in the door and tell the city employees to go home because I can't afford to pay them."

McGehee said many city employees, including members of the police, fire and public works departments and the administration, worked pretty much non-stop for at least the first two weeks after the storm. And the overtime did not stop then.

The federal assistance is needed to pay overtime as well as contractors who are helping in the recovery, he said.

"All I want is the city's money back so we can continue to fight this battle," said McGehee. "We just don't have the means or the money to handle this tab alone. We've got to have some help."

McGehee said he cannot ask people to work without compensation.

Wait just one cotton-pickin' minute. In my April 30, 2006 post, we read that McGehee authorized overtime for himself and his department heads - money that I am not sure they're entitled to, as iirc they are salaried.

Then as early as October, he's begging for money from the federal government because the city's broke.

I wonder how much overtime he paid himself and the department heads? Was it equal to the shortfall?

Stay tuned for the state auditor's report.