Fortucci hearing resumes Feb. 15

LYNN – The disciplinary hearing for Chief Financial Officer Richard Fortucci that opened Tuesday with 16 allegations of wrongdoing will resume Feb. 15 at City Hall, according to City Clerk Mary Audley.The hearing, at which city councilors will determine whether to strip Fortucci of his CFO position, was called after Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy suspended him with pay in January.Sixteen charges were leveled at Fortucci, who was represented at the hearing by attorney Ronald Ranta.The mayor’s attorney, David Grunebaum, addressed six of the 16 allegations and Fortucci was allowed to respond. Both attorneys were granted the privilege of calling witnesses and cross-examining them.City Council President Timothy Phelan, who presided at the 4?-hour hearing, said six council votes are required to remove Fortucci from the six-figure CFO job.Fortucci is currently serving as treasurer while City Comptroller John Pace assumes the role of acting chief financial officer. If removed as CFO, Fortucci would remain the treasurer.According to the mayor, Fortucci jeopardized the receipt of federal grants, botched payrolls, delivered erroneous budget figures and otherwise failed to adequately perform many of his professional duties at a hefty cost to the taxpayers.”The hearing will continue and we will make sure that both sides have a full and fair opportunity to present their cases and their defense,” Phelan said Wednesday. “We will go however long it takes until the hearing is completed. If it goes late into the night, we will come back a third time. But we intend to stay on top of it and come to a conclusion.”Phelan noted the regular meeting of the City Council on Feb. 15 is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., adding that the Fortucci hearing will be on the agenda and likely commence once the other matters have been addressed.Ward 7 Councilor Richard Ford was absent Tuesday because of a family medical emergency. Phelan said Ford plans to attend the hearing when it resumes next week.”There’s no mechanism that says he can’t sit in on it. Rich has all the documentation. I have asked the council office to expedite the video recording of the hearing in its entirety and Rich will watch that,” Phelan said.