Oyster Bay Cove Mayor Michael Peragine's demand that Syosset Fire District Commissioner Peter J. Morley resign from his paid position of district secretary gained exponential support last Monday evening, January 25, when fellow commissioner Ronald Geraci, to the disdain of the four other board trustees, publicly beseeched Morley to step down as secretary.

"Right now, there are no checks and balances," said Geraci at the board of fire commissioners meeting, during which the commissioners and fire district attorney Raymond Lavallee continued to wrangle with the repercussions of an extensive audit conducted by the Office of the State Comptroller, serious enough to prompt an ongoing investigation by the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.

It was two weeks ago, at the previous fire district meeting, that several local civic leaders, including Peragine, questioned the ethicalness and effectiveness of Morley retaining the two positions. While, at that earlier meeting, Geraci was critical of the disorganized internal procedures which over the last decade have been responsible for many overpayments, duplicate payments and the disappearance of records proving authorization of various expenditures, the youngest of the commissioners hadn't specifically blamed anyone. Last Monday, however, Geraci stated that Morley, whose role as secretary was to properly record the minutes of fire district meetings, was almost solely responsible for the poor record-keeping in the district.

"One person is to blame, and that's Peter Morley," said Geraci.

Geraci's comments thoroughly contradicted a statement read aloud only several minutes earlier by Chairman of the Board Henry Marzola, who had supposedly spoken on behalf of the entire board of commissioners. Geraci said he had no knowledge that any statement would be read.

That statement, in which Marzola admitted past organizational and financial errors, was worded in such a way as to spread culpability among the five board members, and deflect some of the blame away from Morley.

"The recent New York State comptrollers report is both disturbing and surprising to this board in that no one in the fire service has ever experienced such an in-depth and detailed analysis of its operations," read Marzola. "Recent newspaper and TV articles have depicted one individual as the sole source of the criticism, which is unfair. The entire board of fire commissioners must assume this burden..."

Geraci quickly separated himself from Marzola's statement, saying that he has opposed Morley's appointment to district secretary for the last three years, after he believed it had become apparent that his record-keeping was slipshod. Echoing the complaints of Peragine and his supporters, Geraci stated that a conflict of interest has allowed Morley to keep his paid position despite what appears to be incompetence.

In fact, most of the 42 recommendations provided by the auditor's report involve improving internal operations of clerical nature. The report states that minutes from fire board meetings have been missing and sketchy for years. "The board of fire commissioners should take steps to ensure that the minute book is a fair and accurate representation of the actual meetings of the board," the report strongly recommends.

Other problems the report cites that are clerical:

Among these include a contract for the installation of an underground sprinkler system, which was, according to district records, approved on December 8, 1997, two days before the project was completed on December 10. The auditor's recommendation read, "If the Board of Fire Commissioners determines that work was begun or completed prior to awarding the contract, the board should find the cause and the individual or individuals, if any, responsible and take measures to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future."

Also, a contract for a physical fitness training program was agreed upon before being publicly approved by the board. The terms of the agreement also did not specify "the number of hours to be worked, the services to be provided and the basis of compensation." And in updating the chief's office recently, the commissioners did not formally award public works contracts, nor ensure that the work was in accordance with their agreement. "The board of fire commissioners should enter into written agreements with all professionals stipulating the services to be provided and the basis for compensation," says the report.

In essence, these issues arose because proper documentation, indicating that detailed, clear-cut agreements were made in advance, was either not drafted at all, not drafted in timely fashion, or drafted and misplaced.

Instances include overpayments in sales commissions, duplicate payments to subcontractors because of unprocessed claim vouchers, overpayments in annual salaries to employees and an overpayment made to a general construction contractor. The auditor's report rebuked the board for, in several instances, approving insufficiently itemized claim vouchers, and misplacing payment records. According to Lavallee, these errors were rectified and the district was reimbursed.

Considering the above, Geraci asked, "If this were any other secretary, would he or she still be around now?" Geraci added that many of the responsibilities that Morley has been taking on are actually the responsibility of the fire district superintendent.

Geraci's statement incited rancor among the four other board members.

"He's done a very good job for us!" insisted Chairman Henry Marzola.

Displaying the thick auditor's report, Geraci retorted, "Does this report praise us? Does it say we did a good job?"

"Auditor's report!" snapped Marzola, "We break our backs for the community and now we're being accused of things we didn't do."

"He hates Peter Morley!" continued Marzola, referring to Geraci. "If it were up to him, he wouldn't even have him as a commissioner!"

Marzola, who dismissed the gravity of the auditor's findings, was also cited for irresponsibility. According to the report, Marzola on occasions would perfunctorily sign blank checks without knowing where the payment was going.

Peragine reiterated from the last board meeting that the audit has triggered significant public distrust of the district, as evidenced by ceaseless complaints he has personally received from Oyster Bay Cove residents. He advised the board that by admitting its mistakes and showing good faith, it could prove that there was no intention of wrongdoing.

As a way of rebuilding trust, Geraci suggested another major reform - that commissioners rotate the specific responsibilities of which they are in charge. These responsibilities have been designated for years as follows: Geraci, vehicles and equipment; William Strong, buildings and grounds; George Wulforst, uniforms; Morley, employees. Marzola, as chairman, is unassigned. "The fix is simple and it's right in front of us, if we just embrace it," declared Geraci. "By rotating these assignments, you prevent even the illusion of collusion."

The remaining commissioners were reluctant to abide by this suggestion.

"How come every other fire district does it?" asked Geraci.

When pressed on the issue, Marzola stated, "We're not going to conclude anything now. We'll take it under consideration."

The issue of Morley's $69,000 salary also surfaced at the board meeting. While some fire districts do employ a commissioner as secretary, few of the local fire districts pay their secretary such a high sum. Massapequa's fire district, comparable in size to Syosset, is paying its secretary $36,000 this year. In 1998,Wantagh budgeted the salary of one employee who was both secretary and treasurer at an annual total of $22,711.

Morley's isn't the only district job whose annual salary is being questioned. Peragine's backers also don't understand why district treasurer Chris English receives $50,000 for a part-time job.

The Hicksville Fire District pays its secretary, treasurer and clerk tens of thousands less than the $119,000 Syosset pays to Morley and English.

The auditor's report also questioned the salary of the fire district's previous attorney, John Lewis, who resigned two years ago. Lewis, according to reliable sources, was at the time the only attorney hired as a full-time hourly employee by any fire district on Long Island; normally they are hired on retainer. The state comptroller's office has not received any documented proof that Lewis actually worked the hours for which he was paid during his employment in the district.

In 1986, when the state comptroller's office last conducted an audit of the district, the state had the same problem obtaining proof of Lewis' man-hours. In fact, many of the same internal procedures that are criticized in the current report are the same as those criticized one decade ago. The earlier report, officially filed in 1988 stated that "no supporting documentation was available from the district to justify the number of days worked [by Lewis] as reported."

On September 8, 1997, shortly after this most recent audit began, Lewis suddenly quit, as indicated in the public minutes of that meeting. Sources claim that this resignation was spurred by the second audit. Lavallee, who has been paid for the last two years by the district as additional counsel, was then hired as the new attorney.

The four older commissioners, not including Geraci, said that poor clerical work was responsible for not having Lewis' proof of hours available when the auditor questioned Morley. However, Lavallee said that following the report's publication, the board provided that documentation to the comptroller's office.

Geraci then sprung, stating, "I just called the state comptroller's office today, and as of today they have still not received those documents - and they don't expect to." Neither the other commissioners nor Lavallee could explain this.

Geraci himself then asked to view the documentation in question. But he was refused by his own counsel, whose loyalties remained with the majority of the board.

"I'm not allowed to view a public document?" questioned Geraci.

The audit also questions the morality in the employment of Morley's wife within the district. According to the report, "A member of the Board of Fire Commissioners whose spouse is employed by the fire district should abstain from discussions and voting on the spouse's annual appointment and salary increases."

The audit also revealed additional questionable salaries within the district. According to fire district records, at the end of 1998, the fire board voted for a 3 percent hike in the district's cost of living tax. That extra money was spilt among the paid personnel in the district. According to the auditor's report, "Cost of living allowances should be authorized by the board of fire commissioners prospectively in the beginning of the year." The Syosset-Jericho Tribune has learned that at a December 1998 meeting, the commissioners resolved to give raises to every district employee; this, just after the cost of living tax increase already raised everyone's salaries.

Firefighters and chiefs are all volunteers, and in no way benefited monetarily from these hikes.

Geraci has not signed the last three fire district budgets, attempting to separate himself from this controversy.

Many of the other items listed on the auditor's report were considered exorbitant expenditures, including the purchases of racing equipment, supplies and entertainment for an extravagant annual installation dinner, and out-of-state conferences. These items were discussed extensively at the previous meeting, while the latest meeting concentrated more on addressing clerical mistakes and financial irresponsibility.

With the exception of Geraci, it has been the board's opinion that it has been unfairly "picked on," as Marzola put it, while other districts throughout the state undergo the same process. But few audits become as extensive as the one performed on Syosset.

Morley referred all comments to his attorney.

After conducting business corresponding to the audit, the commissioners opened an unrelated discussion on the need to replace the main firehouse's 12-year-old roof, which is in disrepair. Geraci suggested that an RFP, or Request for Proposal, be ordered. By exercising an RFP, the district would, in essence, openly inquire of all roofers as to the best way to redesign the roof and to ensure its longevity.

All four other commissioners retreated from that plan, instead wishing to simply contact roofing companies which build roofs with the same specifications as the firehouse roof that was previously built. An RFP costs nothing to taxpayers.

Only when the public reminded the board that it was this obstinate behavior that had engendered public skepticism in the first place did the four remaining commissioners acquiesce.

Those confronting the board were quick to point out that only hours after a statement was made which seemed to offer some contriteness, the commissioners already had reverted back to old patterns.

Ronald Geraci and Michael Peragine have indicated the importance of stressing the distinct difference between the fire district and the fire department. While the commissioners who preside over the fire district are currently being scrutinized for possible wrongdoing, no members of the fire department are under investigation.

Fire department personnel are instrumental in protecting the lives of local residents. They are not associated with the current tumult within the district.