Alderman Peter Sullivan Proposes Fraud Reporting Hotline

For Immediate Release
February 10, 2008
Contact: Alderman Peter M. Sullivan
             (603) 647-5453
             psullivan@manchesternh.gov

      Alderman Peter Sullivan Proposes Fraud Reporting Hotline

(MANCHESTER)- Manchester alderman Peter Sullivan today called for the establishment of a web telephone hotline and web site to report fraud and abuse in city government.

"Manchester residents deserve a city government with zero tolerance for fraud, waste and mismanagement in how tax money is spent", said Sullivan, who represents Manchester's downtown neighborhoods. "The grants coordinator debacle shows that there is a need to change the culture of city government. By giving residents and city employees the means to anonymously report incidents of fraud, we can reduce the chances of similar incidents occuring in the future".

Sullivan proposes that both a telephone hotline and a secure web site that protects the users identity be included in a new fraud reporting system.

In the coming weeks, Sullivan will discuss his proposal with officials from Manchester's finance and information systems departments, as well as with the independent city auditor. The auditor's reports on the grants coordinator case includes the establishment of a fraud reporting hotline in its list of recommendations.

Peter Sullivan is serving his first term as a member of Manchester's Board of Aldermen, representing Ward 3. An attorney, Sullivan chairs the Board's Committee on Accounts, Enrollment, and Revenue Administration.