Ex-mayor claims city officials mishandled budget
FOX 2 St. Louis
[{'start': '1.967', 'end': '9.075', 'text': "DAVID SPUNT, FOX NEWS.   >> COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON.   THIS IS FOX 2 NEWS AT 10.   >> FIRST ON FOX, TENSIONS BOIL   OVER IN BELLEFONTAINE   NEIGHBORS TONIGHT. SO MUCH. SO   A STATE REPRESENTATIVE WAS   ESCORTED AWAY FROM THE PODIUM.   FORMER MAYORS WERE IN THE   CROWD AS RESIDENTS RAISED   CONCERNS ABOUT SEVERAL ISSUES,   INCLUDING FINANCES. FOXNEWS   TAYLA HARRIS JOINS US LIVE NOW   WITH MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS   MEETING TONIGHT. TAYLOR.   >> STANDING OUTSIDE OF   BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS, CITY   HALL, WHERE TONIGHT'S MEETING   HAS BROUGHT FIERY EXCHANGES,   FINANCIAL ACCUSATIONS IN A   PACKED COUNCIL CHAMBERS.   HERE'S SOME FOOTAGE OF   TONIGHT'S MEETING, FORMER   MAYOR DEAN IT AT EVERY TURN TO   CONFRONT THAT SHE SAYS ARE   MISLEADING CLAIMS ABOUT HER   ADMINISTRATION'S HANDLING OF   THE CITY'S BUDGET. RESIDENTS   FILLED CITY HALL DEMANDING   ANSWERS ABOUT POTHOLES,   UNLICENSED BUSINESSES AND   SPEEDING NEAR SCHOOLS. BUT THE   BIGGEST FOCUS ALLEGATIONS OF   FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT FROM   DOING MAYOR ATTACHMENTS TURN.   THE CITY'S CURRENT FINANCIAL   REPORT SHOWED A 1.9 MILLION IN   PAYROLL SPENDING OVER 9   MONTHS. 77,000 LESS THAN LAST   YEAR. BUT THE TREASURY FLAG   CONCERNS ONE REGIONS BANK   ACCOUNT REPORTEDLY LOST   $50,000 IN INTEREST ANNUALLY   DUE TO POOR MANAGEMENT   COMMINGLED FUNDS, UNCHECKED   SPENDING AND WATCH TAX ARE   AMONG THE RED FLAGS BEING   INVESTIGATED. CITY OFFICIALS   SAY CLEANUP IS ONGOING WITH   CALLS NOW GROWING FROM A FULL   STATE AUDIT BY RESIDENTS.   >> THERE ARE SOME UNUSUAL   THINGS THAT WHEN MAYOR TIM WAS   IN OFFICE, ILLEGAL ABUSE. I   DON'T KNOW THAT'S GOING TO BE   FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO BUT WE'RE   JUST TRYING TO GET TO THE   BOTTOM OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS   OCCURRED OVER THE PAST FEW   YEARS. WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF   COMPLETING AUDITS TO DO IT. I   KNOW THAT THEY THERE'S A   PETITION GOING AROUND FOR   STATE AUDIT, WHICH IS GREAT MY   ADMINISTRATION LAST YEAR.   >> THE BUDGET CAME IN $90,000   77,000 AND PAYROLL WITH   MISAPPROPRIATION. WHERE'S THE   MISHANDLING FINANCES THAT WAS   BLASTED ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA.   WAS GOING TO BE THIS BIG   REPORT TO SHOW THE MISHANDLING   AND MISCONDUCT UNDER MY   ADMINISTRATION. YOU HEARD IT   FOR YOURSELF.   >> 7 TOLD FOX 2 THAT SHE LEFT   THE CITY IN A BETTER FINANCIAL   STATE. MEANWHILE, RESIDENTS   ARE PASSING AROUND A PETITION   TO CALL FOR A"}]