It is not up to the Comptroller to just refuse payment. There is a legal grant agreement and she has to honor it. She can delay payments of course to manage cash flow, but she can’t just say, “Oh, this invoice I’m just going to ignore for now.”
=== It is not up to the Comptroller to just refuse payment. ===
You can always try to do something. Whether you get away with it is a different story. Notable examples are the Quinn no-pay and the Munger/Mendoza late pay. This is what you call a Mendoza burr under the Rauner saddle. No more easy riding for the gov.
Oh have the mighty have fallen. This lease is not all that different then the great Hotel desk which the State suffered with for so many years IMO. Someone within the G office needs to be fired for signing off on a lease with an annual cost equal to the buildings purcgase price. On top of that the G should ask the USA to investigate Valla
- Leave a Light on George - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 6:21 pm:
Try telling the public that all waste, fraud and abuse has been cut out when the inevitable tax increase comes.
This lease may be just a drop in the bucket dollar wise but apparently the bucket is full if Cellini can still wet his beak.
You would think someone might remember his recent run in within the Federalies.
This Comptroller is taking more and more power and nobody is doing anything about it. I don’t think anyone understands the consequences of allowing a Comptroller such power. The Comptroller is there to pay bills. Period. If there is a valid agreement I’m place and the invoiced submitted for payment comply with the terms of the agreement then she should pay it (when it gets through the que of bills waiting of course).
=== The Comptroller is there to pay bills. Period. ===
SECTION 17. COMPTROLLER—DUTIES
The Comptroller, in accordance with law, shall maintain the State’s central scal accounts, and order payments into and out of the funds held by the Treasurer.
The Comptroller replaced the office of Auditor of Public Accounts that existed under the 1870 Constitution. The Comptroller’s major function is to “pre-audit” claims for payments out of state funds, allowing only those that are permitted by law. Several statutes govern the Comptroller’s actions.46
The above is from the Annotated Illinois Constitution published by the Legislative Research Unit. The reference to “pre-audit” in the added underscoring indicates the comptroller is more than a ministerial check writer. I’m confident that one could find a more detailed analysis of this fiduciary oversight function in the transcripts. A task I don’t care to perform with my tablet.
Agencies are also required to file leases with the Comptroller. If a valid lease is on file and the bill submitted by the agency meets the lease/contract terms, the Comptroller has to pay-even if they think it’s outrageous. They can slow payments down while asking questions, but they can’t refuse to pay.
Um, this isn’t Mendoza acting unilaterally. This is a bipartisan request from two legislators TO the Comptroller. Another crack in the foundation perhaps?
===Agencies are also required to file leases with the Comptroller. If a valid lease is on file and the bill submitted by the agency meets the lease/contract terms, the Comptroller has to pay-even if they think it’s outrageous.===
She should put it in line, after all other existing leases (statewide) that were already overdue are paid first.
Cubs Manager Maddon just described his young catcher, Wilson Contreras, as playing like his hair was on fire. Comptroller Mendoza is doing the same in her interaction with the Governor. Gotta like that.
She can hold up the payment until the cows come home if she wants, legally.
It’s almost sounding like it would be a good idea to just change the law so that the Comptroller and Governor are always of opposing parties. Munger not only knew where the bodies were hid but was helpfully hiding them. Mendoza is happy to point them out. This seems like a good dichotomy no matter who the Governor is. /s (sort of)
Just pointing out….If that contract isn’t voided - and quickly - the State is actually going to be paying an extra 1% PER MONTH in interest penalty to the landlords.
They probably are hoping this drags out a long long time. Where else can you earn 12% annually on your money?
Why do we have a possible case of blatant fraud that may be exposed by the Comptroller yet some folks suggest the Comptroller should mind her own business, shaddap, and pay the rent.
- Just Me - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 4:24 pm:
It is not up to the Comptroller to just refuse payment. There is a legal grant agreement and she has to honor it. She can delay payments of course to manage cash flow, but she can’t just say, “Oh, this invoice I’m just going to ignore for now.”
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 4:28 pm:
===It is not up to the Comptroller ===
I’m betting there’s some sort of fiduciary responsibility angle here.
- Skeptic - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 4:32 pm:
“It is not up to the Comptroller…” So no one has ever had a payment held up until further documentation was sent in?
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 4:47 pm:
Is she going to put vala payments at the back of the line?
- Norseman - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 4:50 pm:
=== It is not up to the Comptroller to just refuse payment. ===
You can always try to do something. Whether you get away with it is a different story. Notable examples are the Quinn no-pay and the Munger/Mendoza late pay. This is what you call a Mendoza burr under the Rauner saddle. No more easy riding for the gov.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 5:01 pm:
We don’t have a budget.
We still need a governor to honor our state constitution and propse a balanced budget.
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 5:36 pm:
Vanilla, we haven’t had a Governor do that in decades
- Huh? - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 5:56 pm:
We don’t have a budget, so from what line item is the lease being obligated?
New lease. No budget, no line item, no appropriation, no obligation. So sorry, no pay.
- Sue - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 6:15 pm:
Oh have the mighty have fallen. This lease is not all that different then the great Hotel desk which the State suffered with for so many years IMO. Someone within the G office needs to be fired for signing off on a lease with an annual cost equal to the buildings purcgase price. On top of that the G should ask the USA to investigate Valla
- Sue - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 6:16 pm:
Deal not desk
- Leave a Light on George - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 6:21 pm:
Try telling the public that all waste, fraud and abuse has been cut out when the inevitable tax increase comes.
This lease may be just a drop in the bucket dollar wise but apparently the bucket is full if Cellini can still wet his beak.
You would think someone might remember his recent run in within the Federalies.
- Anon - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 6:31 pm:
I hope this has legs.
- Demoralized - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 7:03 pm:
This Comptroller is taking more and more power and nobody is doing anything about it. I don’t think anyone understands the consequences of allowing a Comptroller such power. The Comptroller is there to pay bills. Period. If there is a valid agreement I’m place and the invoiced submitted for payment comply with the terms of the agreement then she should pay it (when it gets through the que of bills waiting of course).
- Norseman - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 7:47 pm:
=== The Comptroller is there to pay bills. Period. ===
The above is from the Annotated Illinois Constitution published by the Legislative Research Unit. The reference to “pre-audit” in the added underscoring indicates the comptroller is more than a ministerial check writer. I’m confident that one could find a more detailed analysis of this fiduciary oversight function in the transcripts. A task I don’t care to perform with my tablet.
- Norseman - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 7:50 pm:
Oops, I need to work on my HTML codes for underscore and superscript.
- justacitizen - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 8:07 pm:
Agencies are also required to file leases with the Comptroller. If a valid lease is on file and the bill submitted by the agency meets the lease/contract terms, the Comptroller has to pay-even if they think it’s outrageous. They can slow payments down while asking questions, but they can’t refuse to pay.
- Cubs in '16 - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 8:46 pm:
Um, this isn’t Mendoza acting unilaterally. This is a bipartisan request from two legislators TO the Comptroller. Another crack in the foundation perhaps?
- DuPage - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 9:03 pm:
- @justacitizen - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 8:07 pm:
===Agencies are also required to file leases with the Comptroller. If a valid lease is on file and the bill submitted by the agency meets the lease/contract terms, the Comptroller has to pay-even if they think it’s outrageous.===
She should put it in line, after all other existing leases (statewide) that were already overdue are paid first.
- Mouthy - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 10:07 pm:
Cubs Manager Maddon just described his young catcher, Wilson Contreras, as playing like his hair was on fire. Comptroller Mendoza is doing the same in her interaction with the Governor. Gotta like that.
She can hold up the payment until the cows come home if she wants, legally.
- Anonymous - Thursday, May 4, 17 @ 10:37 pm:
It’s almost sounding like it would be a good idea to just change the law so that the Comptroller and Governor are always of opposing parties. Munger not only knew where the bodies were hid but was helpfully hiding them. Mendoza is happy to point them out. This seems like a good dichotomy no matter who the Governor is. /s (sort of)
- Biscuit Head - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 8:36 am:
Just pointing out….If that contract isn’t voided - and quickly - the State is actually going to be paying an extra 1% PER MONTH in interest penalty to the landlords.
They probably are hoping this drags out a long long time. Where else can you earn 12% annually on your money?
- DeseDemDose - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 8:51 am:
Why do we have a possible case of blatant fraud that may be exposed by the Comptroller yet some folks suggest the Comptroller should mind her own business, shaddap, and pay the rent.
- DuPage - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 8:54 am:
Are all the overdue rent payments on the drivers license facilities caught up? They need to be paid before any new leases are paid.