ProCAP Payroll “Too High”—Nearly $2 Million
Monday, December 05, 2011
By the time the board of directors for the Providence Community Action Program (ProCAP) unanimously voted to suspend executive director Frank Corbishley indefinitely late last month, the taxpayer-funded nonprofit currently under investigation by the federal government had a payroll nearing $2 million, according to records obtained by GoLocalProv.
The average salary for the staff of 58 was $32,832.83, with Corbishley leading the way with a salary of $95,017.48, followed by comptroller William Capron ($80,000) and COO William Bentley ($72,000). Bentley and ProCAP lawyer Kurt Hayes were terminated from their positions on Nov. 25.
While the salaries are hardly exorbitant, ProCAP spokesman Bill Fischer said the sheer number of employees within the organization is a cause for concern. Fischer said acting executive director Frank Shea is currently in the process of conducting a personnel assessment, but “it is clear the former management should have downsized staff long ago.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe staff actually has been slashed in half since 2010, when records show the organization had 120 employees on its payroll. But Fischer said it is clear that ProCAP was “not a well-managed organization” and that the “payroll is simply too high.”
“We have found people working in programs that are simply not funded any longer,” Fischer said.
Time to Turn the Page
Corbishley was suspended after several weeks of scrutiny at the city’s leading anti-poverty organization that included an assessment conducted that showed a “series of inconsistencies” with health benefits, educational subsidies, cell phone usage and vehicle usage, on top of the interest-free loans given to some employees, according to independent assessor Ken Richardson.
The organization has reportedly been under federal investigation since May, but members of the ProCAP board were told the investigation was routine and taking place at various community action programs across the country.
Board chairman and Council President Michael Solomon said he hopes new leadership will help set the organization on the right path.
“It’s time for ProCAP to turn the page and focus on the critical mission of serving the residents of Providence who rely on the assistance of this vital organization, particularly during the cold winter months,” board chair and City Council President Michael Solomon said. “The board has every confidence in Mr. Shea’s ability to quickly restore order at ProCAP and get the organization back on track. There is clearly much work to be done.”
Good People in Bad Situation
ProCAP has long been accused of being a dumping ground for individuals with political connections. While an initial round of layoffs in October may have begun to address the issue, several relatives of prominent local politicians were still on the payroll as of November, including Edward Badway (related to Joan Badway, former chairwoman of the Providence Democrats), Ralph Narducci (related to City Councilman and former ProCAP board member Nick Narducci) and Damian Costantino (related to former House Finance Chairman Steven Costantino).
Fischer would not elaborate on the number of positions that are likely to be cut, but cautioned that the organization has plenty of good employees.
“There are good people caught in a bad situation,” Fischer said. “Through mismanagement, they’ve created a very dire fiscal situation over there.”
Getting Back on Track
Shea and the board members are now trying to reassemble an organization the state has lost confidence in. Late last month, Solomon said nearly $2 million in state funds had already been eliminated and cautioned that more cuts could be on the horizon.
“I met with officials from the state of Rhode Island relative to their ongoing concerns with ProCAP and its funding,” Solomon said. “It is with great disappointment that I must report the state has eliminated ProCAP's weatherization contract, totaling approximately $1.7 million, due to ongoing concerns regarding agency mismanagement. Last week they signed a contract with Rhode Island Housing to deliver these services.”
But Shea has pledged to get the organization back on track.
“With so many of Providence’s residents looking for help during these difficult economic times, it is imperative we work quickly to get ProCAP back on the right track,” Shea said. “I look forward to working with ProCAP’s board, staff, funders, community members and partners to implement new management and transparency standards and rebuild the public’s trust in this critical organization.”
If you valued this article, please LIKE GoLocalProv.com on Facebook by clicking HERE.
