Buzz: Front Porch press conference

IN editor Duwayne Escobedo attended the press conference and reports:

Surrounded by about two dozen friends, family, black community leaders and some of the Governor’s Front Porch Revitalization Council of Pensacola board members, Thelma Manley denied any mishandling of the agency’s funds Tuesday, March 20.

A sometimes tearful and emotional Manley did admit she isn’t a good bookkeeper, keeping a spreadsheet of expenses and payments but failing to learn a computer accounting program. She has run the faith-based program tasked with helping poor urban residents since its inception eight years ago.

“I invite any third-party to look at the books and what I did,” she says. “I made mistakes but there’s nothing malicious. I’m not good at keeping financial records. I don’t have CPA on my business card.”

The Florida Department of Community Affairs inspector general plans to review Front Porch’s finances soon.

Michelle MacNeil, Front Porch chairwoman and Melanie Nichols, vice chairwoman, raised questions about, writing a complaint to the Florida Office of Urban Opportunity.

Manley is paid $24,999 a year by the state. In addition, Pensacola contributes about $6,000 a year and Escambia about $13,000 a year that goes primarily toward paying Manley. Manley says Gulf Power approved giving her 20 percent of about $80,000 she has helped raise through one of its fundraising programs. In 2002, the Front Porch agreed to pay her 30 percent of other funds she helped raise, Manley says.

Manley says she uses much of that money to help the poor with medicine, power bills and other assistance they need when they come to Front Porch.

She answered questions about allegations against her reported in a Tuesday, March 20 Pensacola News Journal article at a press conference she called that afternoon at Greater Union Baptist Church with its Rev. Hugh King by her side. King, a former Pensacola City Councilman, is on the Front Porch board.

Manley used her time to explain and refute the allegations. She says no money has gone from Front Porch to her father’s church, Jesus Only, for use of it for events. She says she did pay her son $350 for work out of her own money. The board approved a trip to a training session in Orlando that included her son, his fiancée and two children, Delores Curry, a Front Porch board member says. Manley explains that she was put on probation for six months in July for failing to comply with a new state director’s policy for doing reports and turning in paperwork and information on time. She also says audit “irregularities” were reported because she failed to keep records through a recommended computer program, didn’t know some financial reporting procedure requirements and a separation of duties was recommended.

She says she plans to resign from Front Porch, but King says the board will wait before making any decisions.

“I’m somewhat offended that I’m the bad guy here. I’m a little bit hurt,” she says. “I’ve done the best that I can.”

King and Curry questioned the integrity of MacNeil and Nichols, accused them of racism, suggested the issue was control of the Front Porch’s funds and questioned money collected from Front Porch to lease a building from Long Hollow Neighborhood Association run by MacNeil and Nichols.

But mostly King and Curry, as well as Manley, criticized the PNJ article, pointing fingers at reporter Michael Stewart and Managing Editor Ginny Graybiel.

Manley questioned why she wasn’t contacted before the story was published, saying other media tracked down her cellphone and home phone numbers.

“Most of the documents I had or could get but I was not given the opportunity,” Manley says. “But all the foolishness of the article did not hurt me as much as the response by the community.”

King, with five PNJ staffers in the room, accused the PNJ of lackeing ethics and professionalism and charged it with “extreme bias” in its coverage by failing to talk to Manley or other board members besides MacNeil or Nichols.

Graybiel, who wore sunglasses inside asked Manley several questions about her records, defended the article’s accuracy and said that several attempts were made to contact Manley and the reporter went to the Front Porch office and her shoe store and found both closed. When questioned by audience members, Graybiel declined comment at the press conference but welcomed people to the PNJ offices to discuss the story.

“We did not write anything without facts,” Graybiel responded to one questioner. “If anybody would like to meet with me or my editor we welcome you. But I’m not going to address issues at this press conference.”

Meanwhile, Front Porch board member Meredith Reeves, who is MacNeil’s cousin, worries that negative publicity will jeopardize two grants awarded last month to improve an inner-city park and help low-income homeowners clear their titles so they can become eligible for government assistance.

“(Manley) is dedicated and very good with people,” Reeves says. “She’s not good at doing the day-to-day office business. She has good intentions. I would like to see the state come in and review things and make sure everything is appropriate.”

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RO Note: If my calculations are correct, Manley made at least $59,999 from this job – State $24,999, County $13000, City $6000, Gulf Power $16,000 and 30% of other fundraising. The PNJ wrote Manley’s job is a part-time job. However, if the board approved it, then there is no impropriety with her pay. Just seems high.
This is really a bigger issue – the true value of government-funded Faith-based Initiatives and the lack of controls and supervision – not just here but across the country.