Montgomery County Election Results

 Available through the Maryland State Board of Elections website:

https://results.elections.maryland.gov/county_status_page_root.html

Rebecca Smondrowksi Expenses Charged to MCPS Operating Budget = $14,067 .@RebeccaOnBoard

For FY 2017 and FY 2018 through March, Board of Education member Rebecca Smondrowski charged $14,067 in expenses to the MCPS Operating Budget.

The Parents' Coalition has obtained Board of Education expense account records for calendar year 2017 through March 15, 2018.

From the documents we obtained we believe the documents show that Ms. Smondrowski traveled out of town on the following dates.

Conferences:
March 2017 - 5 Days in Denver Colorado  [Hyatt Hotel]

August 18 2017 - Possible Ocean City stay, but BOE members are not listed on the hotel bill

September 21, 2017 - Possible Ocean City stay, but BOE members are not listed on the hotel bill.

September 27-30, 2017 - Cube Conference in New Orleans, LA [Waldorf Roosevelt Hotel]

October 3-6, 2017 - 4 days at MABE Conference in Ocean City, MD


Below are the records that we obtained.  Please note that Board of Education members no longer possess personal credit cards.  That practice ended in 2014 when the Parents' Coalition exposed how Board of Education members and their staff were using their personal MCPS credit cards.

However, Board of Education staff still have a MCPS credit card for Board member purchases.

The first document below shows Rebecca Smondrowski's requests for expenses/reimbursements and the second document shows the bills for Board members paid from the Board office credit card.  The one Board of Education office credit card is in the name of staff member Rebecca Gibson.

Per Diem, Mileage:

   2018 Smondrowski by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Airline tickets, hotels, conference fees:

   2018 BOE Staff King and Gibson by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Jill Ortman-Fouse Expenses Charged to MCPS Operating Budget = $10,895 .@Jill4allMoCo

For FY 2017 and FY 2018 through March, Board of Education member Jill Ortman-Fouse charged $10,895.25 in expenses to the MCPS Operating Budget.

The Parents' Coalition has obtained Board of Education expense account records for calendar year 2017 through March 15, 2018.

From the documents we obtained we believe the documents show that Ms. Ortman-Fouse traveled out of town on the following dates.

Conferences:
March 2017 - 5 Days in Denver Colorado  [Hyatt Hotel]

August 18 2017 - Possible Ocean City stay, but BOE members are not listed on the hotel bill

September 21, 2017 - Possible Ocean City stay, but BOE members are not listed on the hotel bill.

September 27-30, 2017 - Cube Conference in New Orleans, LA [Waldorf Roosevelt Hotel]

October 3-6, 2017 - 4 days at MABE Conference in Ocean City, MD

April 5, 2018 - Airfare purchased for unknown trip

Below are the records that we obtained.  Please note that Board of Education members no longer possess personal credit cards.  That practice ended in 2014 when the Parents' Coalition exposed how Board of Education members and their staff were using their personal MCPS credit cards.

However, Board of Education staff still have a MCPS credit card for Board member purchases.

The first document below shows Jill Ortman-Fouse's requests for expenses/reimbursements and the second document shows the bills for Board members paid from the Board office credit card.  The one Board of Education office credit card is in the name of staff member Rebecca Gibson.

Per Diem, Airport Transportation:

   2018 Jill Ortman-Fouse by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Airline tickets, hotels, conference fees:

   2018 BOE Staff King and Gibson by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Hey Big Spender! Smondrowski & Kauffman Expense Reports Withheld. $15K for Smondrowski Spent on ???

Right here in Montgomery County we have elected officials that are running for re-election that will not release the public documents that show how they have personally been spending public school education dollars.

Did they go to lunch? dinner? take a trip? or buy a gift with MCPS operating budget funds?

We will never know because the Montgomery County Board of Education is refusing to release expense reports for Rebecca Smondrowski and Phil Kauffman.

We asked for:

• expense reports
• reimbursement checks
• expense logs
• credit card bills/statements

for the following MCPS staff and Board of Education members for the period January 1, 2016, to August 31, 2016.

Larry Bowers

Andrew Zuckerman

Philip Kauffman

Rebecca Smondrowski

We did not get back one single document in response to our request!  

Yet, we know that during that time period covered in the public reports linked in this response letter Rebecca Smondrowski spent over $15,000 of MPCS Operating Budget funds on personal expenses.  

We have no way of knowing what that money was spent on specifically, but we can tell you that Ms. Smondrowski is the big spender when it comes to charging taxpayers for local travel.  In the reports shown, Ms. Smondrowski charged almost $9,000 to taxpayers for her "local travel."  

Phil Kauffman is not far behind Ms. Smondrowski in his spending, but since no one in Montgomery County cares about how public school education dollars are spent, there is no point in adding up his totals.

   2016 MPIA for Kauffman and Smondrowski Expenses by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Links to the Reports mentioned in Mr. Turner's non-responsive response to our Maryland Public Information Act request.

https://www.scribd.com/document/329923295/4-15-16-Quarterly-Expenditure-Report

https://www.scribd.com/document/329923306/7-28-16-Quarterly-Expenditure-Report

State prosecutor: No ‘criminal misconduct’ in use of Montgomery school board credit cards

 The Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor closed its investigation into Montgomery County school board members’ use of school system credit cards after the office subpoenaed board expense records in June.
http://www.gazette.net/article/20140826/NEWS/140829412/1022/state-prosecutor-no-x2018-criminal-misconduct-x2019-in-use-of&template=gazette

Note: The Board of Education has not eliminated any of their $158,477 expense account. 

The party will continue, just without the use of personal MCPS credit cards. 

Phil's Still In the Dark on Expenses

Phil, Phil, Phil - you just don't get it, do you?

You are the President of the Board of Education, a trained lawyer, and you still haven't identified the central problem behind the Board members out of control spending?

Yes, you say that you are drafting a new policy on Board members "compensation and expense standards."  The draft policy will be discussed at the July 22, 2014 meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee for Review of Board Processes and Guidelines on Board Expenditures.

You can't even get past the title without making a mistake.  Compensation has no place in the policy.  You don't set the compensation standards.  Compensation is a matter of state law.  You are confused if you think that the expense reimbursement is part of the compensation package.  Its not.  BOE members are part time, not full time.  And therein lies your second mistake.  You don't let part timers spend taxpayer money as if they are employed full time.

Now, I've looked over your proposed policy, and, yes, I realize that you think this is just one of those pesky little administrative matters that doesn't need public input.  Here is your third mistake.  You are spending taxpayer dollars, and the taxpayers need to know how public funds are expended.  Every year we hear how the school system needs more money.  Our teachers spend their own money on classroom supplies, and kids come home from school with stories for example, that the school ran out of copy paper, textbooks, crayons, whatever.  Please can we have some more?  

Sorry, Phil.  You are now leading a group that is in crisis mode.  You collectively have not demonstrated the due care you owe to the public.  Time to start from scratch.  Be careful.  Go slowly.

I've marked up your policy, since you seem so intent on going down this path, but here are some overarching principles that you should adopt.

1.  Increase the transparency of the process.  Expenses should be approved in advance by the full board during the public portion of the meeting.  No more hiding in a conference room to discuss.  After the expense is reimbursed, post the transaction on the website for the public to see.

2.  Bring your own lunch, drive your own car, and sleep in your own bed.  If you get hungry and forget your lunch - don't skip a meal, but don't expect the taxpayers to pick up the tab.  Limit the reimbursement to the cost of a sandwich - we don't need to pay for fancy restaurants, you just want your tummies to not rumble.

3.  Cut the credit cards.  Collectively, a spenders anonymous program seems more in order than this new policy.  Pay cash, or use your personal card.  You need to exercise discretion as you would for your personal expenses.

4.  Limit the amount of meetings to two per year.  You are part time, right?  Go to what you absolutely need to attend.  For the rest?  Try Skype, use Adobe Connect, Google Chat - whatever technology, we seem to have a lot of it and its time you used what we already have inhouse.  And after that?  Spend your own dime, not mine.

5.  The approved  events list needs to be cut down.  This looks like you are still eating out on the taxpayer dime and having fun.  Go to the event, but leave before dinner or pay for your own. Again, if you really believe these events are important, I suggest limiting this to two events per member.  Only one member needs to represent the Board at any event.  Remove the County Executive Ball.  That leaves a list of 21 events and so if each of you attends two events, that only leaves three without an MCPS presence.  If you need to really go to the last three?  Pay your own way.

6.  Don't pay for home offices.  Who in 2014 doesn't have a computer, telephone, or the internet at home?  Who doesn't carry their own cell phone?  And, how do we know that the taxpayer funded home internet will only be used for official business?  We could probably scrounge up a laptop or IPAD from MCPS inventory, again, we seem to invest in a lot of technology already, no sense in buying more, but the rest?  You can always come in to Carver or go to your local library for internet access.  We don't need to have you set up at home for your part time job.

7.  Dispute resolution is not needed.  Denials of expenses or attendance at events when approved by the Board should not be appealed.  

8.  Finally, you also seem a bit confused about whether this policy also applies to Board staff.  Wrong again.  Board staff are not elected, and while some seem to have trouble with expenses and reimbursements, they need more than a paragraph (your paragraph 9), and should have their own policy.  More work for your committee, but its taxpayer money and we deserve to see that the spending is in line with the public good.

Phil, I stand ready to work with you but honestly?  You have a lot of work to do on this policy before you can hold the Board members accountable.  

In the interim?  The policy should be no reimbursement.  Pay your own way or stay at home until you can be responsible for expending taxpayer money.

WTOP: Mont. Co. school board members' credit card use called into question

...There was the restaurant meal at Fager's Island during a conference in Ocean City. The final tab, which included orders of the surf and turf, lobster tail and sea bass, was $509.
In another eyebrow-raising charge, a round trip taxi fare to St. Mary's County cost $457. The board member, Judy Docca, cannot drive for health reasons, so she takes taxis to meetings, ABC7 reports. 

Other purchases have been called "accidental," with school district credit cards covering personal expenses. 

One of those, by Board member Roland Ikheloa, was a $581.87 purchase at a tire shop. He later repaid the school district. 

Board member Chris Barclay told ABC7 his 14 unauthorized purchases with the school credit card were accidents. 

The newly-released documents reveal some lavish indulgences, even while some teachers take it upon themselves to supply their classroom needs...

 http://www.wtop.com/46/3656889/Are-Mont-Co-school-board-members-misusing-their-credit-cards

Expense Reports for BOE Fiscal Assistant

  Rebecca Gibson by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

ABC7 Video: Barclay Scandal

BOE's Gap Closing Plan

That's it.

The Board of Education's Strategic Planning Committee is meeting today.

Here's their plan for their Strategic Planning Framework Monitoring System.  (See image to left.) The plan includes monitoring high school hope, engagement and well being via Gallup no bid surveys.

 After the committee reviews this chart they will probably go to lunch.

County Council Provides for Travel and Expenses for BOE Members .@RicePolitics .@PhilAndrewsFrUs .@MoCoDistrict5 .@georgeleventhal

Montgomery County Council members love to tell citizens that they have limited control over how MCPS and the Board of Education spend education dollars.  However, Maryland law specifically notes that travel and other expenses of Board of Education members are provided by the Montgomery County Council!  
Hey, Council, looks like these travel expenses and credit card bills are on you! 

EDUCATION
DIVISION II.  ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
TITLE 3.  ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNTY BOARDS OF EDUCATION
SUBTITLE 9.  MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Md. EDUCATION Code Ann. § 3-902  (2014)
§ 3-902. Compensation 


   (a) Reimbursement for travel and other expenses. -- An elected member of the county board is entitled to reimbursement for travel and other expenses as provided by the Montgomery County Council.
(b) Annual salary. --

   (1) An elected member of the county board is entitled to receive $ 25,000 annually as compensation and the president of the county board is entitled to an additional $ 4,000 annually as compensation.

   (2) An elected member is entitled to health insurance and to other fringe benefits regularly provided to employees of the board of education under the same terms and conditions extended to other employees of the board of education.

(c) Student member. --

   (1) The student member may not receive compensation but, after submitting expense vouchers, may be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with official duties.

   (2) A student member who completes a full term on the board shall be granted a scholarship of $ 5,000 to be applied toward the student's higher education costs.

Thanks to Congress . . .

for showing the good folks of Montgomery County how easy it is to adopt the new transparency initiative of the current administration.

If posting of expense logs can be done in short order with minimal need to current reporting systems, MCPS should have no trouble making their expense logs available.

Unless of course, we have something at issue with what is reported in the logs.

From the Speaker's Blog, The Gavel:

Speaker Pelosi Directs Statement of Disbursements Be Posted Online

June 3rd, 2009 by Karina

As part of Speaker Pelosi’s ongoing efforts to increase transparency and accountability in the House of Representatives, the Speaker’s office and the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) have been working on making the Statement of Disbursements - which documents all expenditures Congressional, Committee, Leadership, and administrative offices make - available online. Today, the Speaker sent the following letter to the CAO directing his office to begin posting the Statement of Disbursements online as soon as possible:

June 3, 2009

The Honorable Dan Beard
Chief Administrative Officer
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20015

Dear Mr. Beard:

I am directing that the Chief Administrative Officer’s office begin to publish the quarterly Statement of Disbursements for the House of Representatives in an online format at the earliest date. The House is making every effort to operate in a transparent manner and online publication of these reports will expand accountability to taxpayers and the press.

For well over 100 years the United States House of Representatives has compiled and published, on a quarterly basis, a public Statement of Disbursements documenting the expenditures of each Congressional, Committee, Leadership, and administrative office. This publication provides an accurate accounting of the manner in which the House and its Members and officers spend all of the funds appropriated for the conduct of official business.

In the past, this publication has been made available in the Legislative Resource Center or by purchase from the United States Government Printing Office. However, this means for publishing material does not allow all interested parties to review the information contained in the reports. Consistent with my goal to increase transparency and ensure greater accountability to the public, please take all steps necessary to ensure that the quarterly Statement of Disbursements be made available online free of charge to the public and on a suitable House website.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

best regards,

NANCY PELOSI
Speaker of the House

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at 11:22 am by Karina and is filed under Speaker Pelosi, Oversight. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.