PUBLIC SESSION
MEETING CONVENED
Committee Chair David A. Mills called the meeting to order at 12:58 p.m. Committee member Executive Director David A. Wilson was also present. Committee Member Commission Chair Maria J. Krokidas participated remotely.
REMOTE PARTICIPATION
Committee Chair Mills announced that the Commission previously voted to authorize remote participation on December 16, 2011, and that Chair Krokidas would participate remotely. Vice Chair Mills noted that all votes taken at the meeting would be taken by roll call.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
On the motion of Mr. Wilson, seconded by Chair Krokidas, the Committee voted 3-0 to waive the reading and approve the public session minutes of the September 5, 2019 Committee meeting.
| Committee Chair Mills | Yes |
| Committee Member Krokidas | Yes |
| Committee Member Wilson | Yes |
DISCUSSION
Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Request
Mr. Wilson invited Government Affairs Officer Robert Milt and Chief Financial Officer Alice Wu to discuss the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2021 expansion budget request.
Mr. Milt said the Executive Office for Administration and Finance was in the process of formulating the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget request. Mr. Milt reported that the Commission’s budget team has been working to formulate both a maintenance and expansion request for Fiscal Year 2021. He said that the maintenance request, which is approximately $92,000 more than the Fiscal 2020 level, was submitted to the administration on October 18. Mr. Milt reported that the Commission will also transmit a request to the Executive Office for Administration and Finance for approximately $100,000 in expansion funding to create a new attorney position. He explained the new attorney would support key functions in both the Legal and Enforcement divisions.
Mr. Milt said the maintenance and expansion requests would bring the Commission’s total Fiscal Year 2021 request to $2,583,694, an increase of approximately 8% over the current year. Mr. Milt said the budget request would be submitted to the Executive Office for Administration and Finance by November 22.
Mr. Wilson asked what the $100,000 in expansion funding for a new attorney includes. Mr. Milt responded that the funding would cover salary and overhead costs associated with the position.
Committee Chair Mills asked whether statistical data is used to demonstrate a need for increased funding. Mr. Milt responded that the budget team closely examines Enforcement Division statistics, including the length of investigations and the number of pending complaints.
Chair Krokidas asked for an explanation of how the separation of Legal Division and Enforcement Division staff functions would apply to the new position. Mr. Wilson replied that the attorney could provide advice in the Legal Division and could investigate cases in the Enforcement Division, but could not investigate any cases relating to any advice he or she had given. Mr. Wilson said the attorney could investigate and prosecute cases as long as he or she was not involved in legal advisor work on the case. Mr. Wilson said that the Commission ideally could request funding for two positions, but is trying to be realistic in its request.
The consensus of the Committee was to support the Commission’s Fiscal Year 2021 expansion funding request.
Internal Control Plan
General Counsel/Legal Division Chief Eve Slattery said the Office of the Comptroller has issued guidance and a description of best practices regarding internal control plans. She said internal control plans helps ensure that in addition to meeting agency goals, agencies also protect the assets of the Commonwealth. Ms. Slattery said it has been several years since the last internal control plan went before the Commission. She said the internal control plan has recently been updated and that a draft has been provided to the Comptroller’s office and the Auditor’s office. She said the plan will be presented to the full Commission for review and approval.
Employee Compensation
Mr. Wilson said he plans to go before the Commission in December to request approval to adjust salaries of certain employees. Mr. Wilson explained that some Commission staff members are paid according to the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) Unit 6 Collective Bargaining Agreement salary schedule, and other staff members are paid at a level determined by the Executive Director, with the Commission’s approval. Mr. Wilson said that to ensure that everyone is compensated fairly and appropriately, he will ask the Commission to approve a 2% to 3.25% percent increase in salaries for employees who are not compensated according to the NAGE Unit 6 CBA, who if they were so compensated would in the current fiscal year receive step increases in their salaries, effective on the anniversary date of their appointment to their current positions. He said the total cost of the pay increases would be approximately $15,000. Ms. Wu said there are sufficient funds in the Commission’s operating budget to provide the increases. The consensus of the other Committee members was to support Mr. Wilson’s request.
ADJOURN MEETING
At 1:25 p.m., on the motion of Committee Chair Mills, seconded by Committee Member Wilson, the Committee voted 3-0 to adjourn.
| Committee Chair Mills | Yes |
| Committee Member Krokidas | Yes |
| Committee Member Wilson | Yes |
Respectfully submitted,
Gerry Tuoti
Public Information Officer