To the Editor:
Mr. Coffey’s remarks are mere cover for himself as the Assistant City Attorney (1990-2002) and Law Director (2002-2009). He would have been at the forefront on all of the transactions that occurred between the City of Bayonne and the Bayonne Board of Education during this time. For him to deny knowledge of any or all of the mentioned transactions from 1999 – 2009 shows why he was let go in 2009. Mr. Coffey seems to be blaming the Bayonne Board of Education for his lack of attention to details.
Mr. Coffey questions the Board of Education’s $6,000,000 payment to the City. The bigger issue is not how the Bayonne Board of Education was able to make the payment but what did the City Finance Director do with the $6,000,000. The Bayonne Board of Education has a “receipt” of payment from the City Finance Director for the $6,000,000 and a Board of Education signed resolution. The resolution clearly states that the $6,000,000 was for building projects completed in the referenced time span.
Additionally the Bayonne Board of Education has provided the correct paperwork and receipts for all of the projects Mr. Coffey questions. Reimbursements to the Bayonne Board of Education promised by the Administrations that he himself worked for and were never received by the Bayonne Board of Education.
Also Mr. Coffey’s questioning the “Pump Station” clearly shows his lack of accounting acumen when he questions how the Bayonne Board of Education can take a “Full Credit” of $375,597.40 for that project. We can take the full credit because the Bayonne Board of Education paid for the project in “Full.” Mr. Coffey is certainly entitled to his opinion but he is not entitled to change the facts that surround these transactions.
If Mr. Coffey would like to discuss the ongoing issues between the City of Bayonne and the Bayonne Board of Education we remain steadfast in our resolve to serve the students, staff, and taxpayers of the City of Bayonne.
Finally the Bayonne Board of Education is meeting with Commissioner of Education, David Hespe, to resolve these issues. In that regard this will be our last response on these issues.
BAYONNE BOARD OF EDUCATION FINANCE COMMITTEE