In Phillip Ford: The Poster Child for Nepotism, we told you all about ex-North Miami Beach City Manager Arthur “Duke” Sorey’s personal clothier and Friends & Family hire, Phillip Ford.

As with most of the employees Duke hired during his 710-day reign of terror, Phillip was also a former employee of North Miami where he did a stint as the Assistant Director of Purchasing from July of 2017 to December of 2019.

Until March 21, 2023, when Duke was fired and a new Interim City Manager hired, Phillip worked from the comfort of his home in Port St. Lucie, 105 miles up the coast, and still managed to collect a full-time paycheck from the City of North Miami Beach replete with a car allowance, cell phone allowance, health insurance, and a generous 401K retirement contribution.

Since the much needed change in management, Phillip Ford has had to actually justify his salary by showing up for work.  We’re pretty sure he’s not too happy about it.

Oh, well.  Consider that the price of actual employment.

Probably even more than he dislikes driving to work from Port St. Lucie, he really, really, really doesn’t like it when his taxpayer-funded Procurement Card (P Card) abuse is publicly exposed.

Oh, well.  Consider that the price of public employment.

After reviewing all of Phillip Ford’s travel documents for his March 13, 2022 trip to Dallas for a taxpayer-funded vacation, er, I mean, a “P3 Conference in Dallas, Texas,” I sent an email on March 30, 2023 to Interim City Manager Mark Antonio about my findings.

I advised him that according to the Phillip Ford’s Travel Expense Report, he received a per diem check in the amount of $295.50 for meals.  However, he also charged $146.56 on his taxpayer-funded Purchasing Card (P-Card) for meals while on his trip, as evidenced by his P-Card statement ending April 4, 2022.

Later than night, I followed up with a second email to Mr. Antonio, advising him that upon further review of the documents, I wanted to bring several other items to his attention, as follows:

1. According to the attached agenda for the conference, breakfast was provided on 3/14/22, 3/15/22, and 3/16/22, and lunch was provided on 3/15/22.  Not only did he receive a per diem for those meals, but he also used his taxpayer-funded P Card for three of those meals, as follows: 3/14/22 Breakfast $13.50; 3/15/22 Lunch $22.49; 3/16/22 Breakfast $13.50.  This is not just double-dipping, but triple-dipping.
2. The attached Pre-Travel Authorization was not signed by the Requestor, FInance Director, and City Manager until 9/16/22 — a full six (6) months after Mr. Ford actually took the trip.  How did his trip get authorized after the fact?
3. His Travel Expense Report was not signed by the Traveler and the “Dept. Head” until 10/11/22 and 10/18/22 — a full seven (7) months after the trip.  Why did it take so long?
4. The conference ended at 12:30 PM on 3/16/22.  Mr. Ford had plenty of time to fly back on that date, yet he billed taxpayers an additional $289.32 to stay an extra night at the Dallas Sheraton.  Why?
5. To make matters even worse, during that extra night on 3/16/22, Mr. Ford charged $56.96 for a “Prime Ribeye” at the Open Palette Restaurant, while at the same time receiving a per diem, courtesy of North Miami Beach taxpayers, many of whom could never afford a $50 steak for themselves.  Now, that’s chutzpah!

I also noted in my email that accepting reimbursement for meals and then charging those same meals on a taxpayer-funded P Card is a violation of Florida Statute 112.061 Per diem travel expenses of public officers…, specifically section (10), which states that any public employee who submits a fraudulent claim [for per diem reimbursement] “is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Whoever shall receive an allowance or reimbursement by means of a false claim shall be civilly liable in the amount of the overpayment for the reimbursement of the public fund from which the claim was paid.”

On March 31, 2023, I received an email response from Mr. Antonio, thanking me for my email, and assuring me that “this is being fully investigated and the appropriate action taken at the conclusion of our investigation.”

What I didn’t know at the time, was that there were several email exchanges on March 30th and March 31st between Interim City Manager Mark Antonio and Phillip Ford:

Phillip apparently never did feel better because on Sunday evening he sent this email to Mr. Antonio, copying the Mayor and Commission, City Attorney, Chief Financial Officer, Assistant City Attorney, and the Ethics Commission:

 

Obviously, Phillip Ford’s response was so wrong on so many levels, we don’t even know where to begin.

But, of course, we’ll try.

For one thing, he’s daring the Manager to fire him, which I hope will come to fruition.  If Phillip’s end game is to try and collect an unemployment check, I also hope the City fights it in Court.

On a personal level, well, he did try to insult “the blogger.”

That wasn’t too smart now, was it?

So, of course, I had to respond via email, which I shared with all of Phillip’s recipients, and which I will post right here in it’s entirety.

Dear Mr. Ford,

I realize that the facts I have exposed are inconvenient, but let me be perfectly clear.  My so-called “allegations” are based entirely on the attached City’s Procurement Card Policy & Procedures, which I have thoroughly reviewed in its entirety, and which I am perfectly capable of understanding.

You may think of me as “just a blogger,” but I strongly suggest you do not underestimate my abilities as a retired paralegal of over 30 years, with extensive experience in research and contract law.  I have absolutely no problem understanding municipal and state law, as well as the county and state Codes of Ethics, and the Florida Bar’s Rules, Ethics & Professionalism.  In other words, I am not an idiot.

I also strongly urge you to refrain from accusing the City’s Finance Office, and specifically Chief Financial Officer Marcia Fennell, of reconciling and approving your problematic Purchasing Card charges.  As I recall, on March 16, 2023 Ms. Fennell already rebutted the ex-City Manager’s false accusations against her by stating that “Enforcement of Non-Compliance Matters is at the Procurement level – not Finance.”

Had you familiarized yourself with the Procurement Card Policy & Procedures, you would know that the Finance Department is not responsible for reconciling or approving transactions.  Those are the responsibilities of the respective Department heads.  In fact, with respect to the Procurement Cards, the only duties of the Finance Department are to:

• • Receive approved monthly statements from all cardholders’ department
  • Receive consolidated statement from Procurement Card issuer
  • Confirm that all charges are authorized by Department Representative(s)
  • Notify Departments when approved monthly statements are not received
  • Pay all monthly charges from consolidated statements
  • File and store statements, receipts, etc.
  • Administer 1099 reporting

I will not stand by silently while you attempt to disparage one of the few highly qualified and intelligent employees still on the payroll after ex-Manager Arthur “Duke” Sorey purged the workforce of all intelligent life at City Hall.  You are not even in Ms. Fennell’s league, so don’t even try to blame her for your inability to do your own job.

Your rationalization for blatantly violating the Procurement Card Policy & Procedures is completely laughable.  The fact that you “were directed to take this particular trip only days before the conference,” does not excuse you from accepting a per diem check for meals that were provided by the conference sponsors, nor does it excuse you from also charging those meals on your taxpayer-funded Purchasing Card.  That, sir, is not only against all municipal procurement card policies, but it is also a violation of Florida Statute 112.061.

Prove me wrong.

I am especially concerned about the ribeye steak dinner you charged on March 16, 2022 in the amount of $56.96, as evidenced on the attached Bank of America Purchasing Card statement for the period ending April 4, 2022, as well as the attached receipt for this meal.

According to your Travel Expense Report, a copy of which is attached hereto, you received a per diem reimbursement of $31.00 for this meal.

In fact, you were so happy with this $56.96 taxpayer-funded ribeye steak dinner on March 16, 2022, that you posted on Facebook that very day that you “just knew there would be a 5 star steakhouse” nearby.

Again, prove me wrong.

I’m sorry, Mr. Ford, but there is absolutely no excuse for someone who earns a taxpayer-funded salary and benefit package of $171,339, to request a $31.00 taxpayer-funded per diem reimbursement for a meal, and then have the nerve to charge taxpayers an additional $56.96 for that same meal.  Worse, you deliberately sought out a 5-star restaurant to enjoy at the expense of the hard working residents of North Miami Beach with a per capita income of $25,500.00, or less than 15% of what they pay to keep you employed, many of whom could never afford to enjoy a $48.00 ribeye steak.

And by the way, as long as someone else was picking up the tab for your expensive meal, the least you could have done was leave a decent tip.  How embarrassing!

Like your former boss, Duke Sorey, you have a difficult time accepting responsibility for your actions.  And, like your ex-boss, you seem to believe that people are so stupid they will believe whatever lies you spout.  You, sir, would be wrong.

I certainly hope you do not make the mistake of underestimating me again.

Do yourself a favor and resign immediately.

Very truly yours,

Stephanie Kienzle

We hear that Mr. Ford called out sick again today, although we can’t imagine why.

“The Blogger”