MY FOX 5: Tape Brings Questions on Barry and Grants

Per Fox 5:

The voices on the recording belong to Sharon Wise-- the woman making the allegations-- Brenda Richardson-- an employee in Barry's office-- and Eric Goulet, the council's budget director. They are heard saying, in part:

Sharon Wise: "I mean, anytime you have somebody, you take $15,000 out of my salary that I have a contract for, hire somebody without my knowledge, give it to them and then say, now they are hired, then you should tell them what their assignment is-- not me."

Brenda Richardson: "The councilmember did that-- the councilmember did that."

(voices talking over each other)

Eric Goulet: "Okay, let's move beyond the ideal of how this should work, okay, and I'm glad this is not on tape right now, but the councilmember and you, Brenda, should not be-- should not be directly making decisions about these grant agreements-- it should have been done at the beginning of the year."

Council sources familiar with the meeting say Eric Goulet made the statement about the tape out of concern Barry's office was involved in the day-to-day decision making on grant activity. Not because it was illegal, but because it raised questions about perception.

The framework of the douncil grants called for individual groups to administer them-- not the councilmember or his office.