A leaked email obtained by Redress South Bend raises serious concerns over the legality of former Deputy Clerk Bianca Tirado's consulting arrangement with the city of South Bend. The email, dated November 30th, 2022, charges the arrangement with "potential conflict of interest issues," a recurring criticism of the municipal governance in South Bend.
According to the correspondence:
Hiring Tirado "usurps Clerk Jones's statutory authority as Clerk and puts the Clerk's employees in a precarious position of having to choose which 'boss' to follow. Moreover, Ms. Tirado plans to run for Clerk against Ms. Jones while the Council pays her to purportedly do Clerk Jones's work."
The contentious email also refers to specific Indiana Codes that underscore Clerk Jones's elected role and her exclusive statutory rights to manage her office. It notes the increased financial burden posed by Ms. Tirado's $118,450 consultancy paycheck—an expense that, according to the source, has not yielded tangible benefits to the city or its taxpayers. The email additionally describes how Ms. Tirado, before her contract began in April 2022, formerly associated with Clerk Jones's office, allegedly engaged in the obstruction of staff training. It specifically mentions an incident that brought an employee to tears:
"Prior to entering into this contract in April 2022, Ms. Tirado worked as Clerk Jones's primary deputy and was responsible for employee selection, appraisal, and corrective actions, and training, among other things. She spoke out disparagingly against one Clerk's Office employees and regularly voiced her wish for his termination (this was before the 90-day trial period). It was still her obligation to train him, but she refused. Consequently, he lacked the necessary training to move forward successfully."
"Instead of offering training to the remaining employees, she offers mostly criticism, even bringing one of her employees to tears on several occasions."
Ms. Tirado's refusal to work with the one employee and negative comments to the remaining employees do not make for the smooth transition outlined in the contract. Furthermore, the email questions Ms. Tirado's invoicing procedures, citing a lack of specific itemization that could effectively obscure the nature of her work for the city:
"Her (Tirado's) presence creates discord and turmoil in the Clerk's Office."
"Additionally, I reviewed Ms. Tirado's generalized invoices to date and have additional concerns regarding those. She does not itemize the time she spent on any given task, so it is impossible to know what she is doing for what period of time. Furthermore, some of her listed tasks do not align with the person with whom she was corresponding. Not only is the city paying another person to do the same work Clerk Jones is already performing, but it is also paying invoices that exceed the $6000/month cap as outlined in the contract."
These allegations, if substantiated, could suggest significant ethical and financial improprieties, with implications for the city's leadership stability and fiscal responsibility. Redress South Bend is conducting a thorough ongoing investigation into the matter.