The grift that keeps on grifting

Back in November of 2017, we spent a couple of days examining former Mayor Eric Jackson's failed Trenton Resident Employment initiative. We outlined how there was nothing to show for the program or the money paid to Charles Hill, the consultant hired to shape and oversee the initiative. Should anyone be surprised to learn that all these months later, Mr. Hill still hasn't been made to answer for his blatant ripoff of the city?

To recap: in September of 2014, early in the Jackson administration, the council passed an ordinance creating the Trenton Employment Commission. The purpose of the commission was to meet monthly to oversee the Mayor's Trenton Resident Employment Initiative.

Thirteen months later, in October of 2015, the council passed a resolution authorizing a one year/$50,000.00 contract with Hill Consultants LLC and its principal, Charles Hill coordinate and implement the initiative.

We pointed out at that time very little work had been done; no one had been appointed to the commission; no meetings of the commission had been held; and Mr. Hill seemingly walked away after billing the city and being paid about $23,000.00 for his alleged work on the project.

It was also noted at the time that Mr. Hill appeared to have arbitrarily and unilaterally raised his hourly billing rate from $100 to $125 on the six invoices. He was paid the extra money and no one ever blinked an eye or raised a question.

Even after we published our findings and shared the same with the DCA and its Trenton "monitor", no one from the state, the administration or the city council bothered to inquire into what happened to the initiative or what did the city really receive for the money spent.

Well, as it turns out, the city did make at least a half-hearted attempt at clearing some of this up. On June 18, 2018, in the waning days of  Mayor Jackson's term, the City of Trenton filed a complaint against Mr. Hill and Hill Consultants, LLC to recoup $4,750.00 in over payments to Mr. Hill, plus interest, court costs, attorney fees "and any further sums that the court may deem equitable and just."

Good, right?

Well, it would be except that the defendant was never served. It appears as though they tried to serve him at his business address in Trenton; a rented office long since vacated. We're guessing they didn't try to serve him at his last known residence address in Newtown, Pennsylvania.  The address is right there in Hill's response to the city's original RFP. Surely they could refile the complaint to be served there.

Recovering $4,750.00 + in owed money will not come close to solving the city's fiscal woes, but it just might stop one more con from walking away with pockets lined with taxpayers funds.