A whistleblower alleges that federal funds meant to assist low-income residents in Staunton are going unspent because of basic incompetence on the part of a consulting firm hired by the city government.
The whistleblower, Vincent Mani, was fired from his position as the city’s housing planner and grants coordinator on Dec. 29.
Mani raised issue with his termination, which he feels runs afoul of state and federal laws protecting whistleblowers, to members of Staunton City Council, and received a response from the now-former mayor, Andrea Oakes, that the matter would be brought to the attention of City Attorney John Blair.
A City of Staunton spokesperson declined to comment on whether the city government is following through with a review of Mani’s request.
Oakes has since stepped down as mayor and resigned her seat from the City Council, apparently unrelated to the goings-on in this matter involving the CDBG funds.
The city spokesperson, and an official representing the consultant, M&L Associates, both declined the opportunity to comment on the substance of Mani’s allegations.
This gets us to the question: what is it, in specific, in detail, that Mani is alleging is being done wrong?
According to a Sept. 23 memo sent by Mani to Billy Vaughn, the city’s director of community and economic development, City Manager Leslie Beauregard, Cindy Fitzgerald, the assistant director of finance, and Rodney Rhodes, whose job title is senior planner, the city had $1,107,530 in...
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