SELECT BOARD TO NAME ITS $79,559/YEAR ‘GOFER,’ DOMENICA TATASCIORE, AS “INTERIM DEPARTMENT HEAD FOR THE INSPECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT”

THE MAY 2018 STERLING ANNUAL TOWN MEETING AUTHORIZED THE HIRING OF A TOWN PLANNER, TO PREPARE A NEW TOWN MASTER PLAN, ONLY

In response to out-loud representations made by the Select Board during the May 2018 Sterling Annual Town Meeting the voters then present authorized the hiring of a Town Planner for the SOLE PURPOSE of preparing a new Town of Sterling Master Plan. They DID NOT authorize the hiring of a general purpose Select Board ‘Gofer’. In October 2018 Domenica Tatasciore was hired as Town Planner. Thirty-two (32) months later, Ms. Tatasciore has not yet furnished Sterling’s taxpayers with a new Town Master Plan while, during that time, other Massachusetts towns came up with their new Master Plans in 12-15 months. SEE very first post, THIS Blog. This year Ms. Tatasciore was paid $76,470 as purported ‘Town Planner.’ Starting 1 July 2021 her salary as purported ‘Town Planner’ will be $79,559.

SELECT BOARD MEMBER MAUREEN CRANSON, ‘OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL BULLSH*T’

To open a fairly recent Select Board meeting Ms. Maureen Cranson, disingenuously–as usual–announced that Ms. Tatasciore was worth what she is costing Sterling taxpayers because she had brought in more grant money to the Town than her cumulative salary and benefits payments. That’s nice, but it is also genuine bullsh*t because the Town can retain professional grant application writers, FOR A WHOLE LOT LESS MONEY, on a per-grant-application contractual basis, and Ms. Cranson knows it. The Town has contracted out for other services and can contract out grant application writing.

MS. TATASCIORE’S LATEST, UPCOMING, OFFICIAL ‘GOFER’ TITLE

According to the Select Board’s 23 June 2021 Agenda– https://www.sterling-ma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif1266/f/agendas/2021_6_23_agenda2.pdf –Ms. Tatasciore’s newest official ‘Gofer’ title will be “Interim Department Head for the Inspectional Services Department” while she continues to run up her fake Town Planner-status salary and benefits meter. I believe that the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General will be interested to learn about this ongoing fraud, waste, and abuse.

J.G.