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Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What MATA's interim CEO charged to her company credit card
MEMPHIS, Tenn — The Memphis Area Transit Authority's former interim CEO was recently fired after the transit agency said an internal investigation questioned spending practices and found reported policy violations. WREG Investigators got hold of company credit card statements to get a closer look at how your taxpayer money was being spent. We asked for these credit card statements back in September when MATA announced its $60 million deficit and again this year. With help from the Reporter's Committee for the Freedom of the Press, MATA turned them over, because the Tennessee Records Act states they shouldn't be secret. A year after Bacarra Mauldin started at MATA as chief of staff in the summer of 2021, she secured her own company credit card. The then-CEO Gary Rosenfeld was the only other person at MATA who had one. MATA fires deputy CEO after investigation into spending Statements show in the first six months, Mauldin spent $868 dollars Amerigo Italian Restaurant, $141 at Fancy's Fish House, and $260 at Folks Folly Prime Steakhouse. If you tally up the dinners, bakery and catering orders from July 2022 through 2024, the total is around $16,000 dollars. Other charges on her card: $823 at Mednikow Jewelers for a 'jewelry repair/sale' in September 2022, around $1,100 at Montblanc, which sells luxury ballpoint pens, in January 2024, and around $1,400 at Jasper Float Spa, based in downtown Memphis. We tallied thousands of dollars in charges at Target, Sam's Club and Amazon. The statements don't give details what was exactly of dollars were also spent on plane tickets and seat upgrades. Sometimes Mauldin booked separate flights from her staff on a different airline that often times would cost more money. Her trips would also be more expensive when she flew in and out of other cities like Birmingham, where she once lived and worked. We tallied $3,368 spent on Ubers and cabs over those two and a half years including $183 for a black car service in Ohio in June 2024. There was also a charge for around $1,300 at Tennessee Limo in May 2024. Mauldin's credit card statements shows charges to her sorority Delta Sigma Theta.'I knew there were some financial challenges, but honestly, I had no idea the ride we were about to be on,' Mauldin said in an interview in November. She stressed she didn't know MATA was facing a $60 million shortfall until she stepped into the interim CEO role in January 2024 when Rosenfeld suddenly retired. She also stated she was working with TransPro, which is the group the mayor brought in to study the transit authority's operations. The mayor appointed a new board who voted this year to let TransPro rep John Lewis temporarily lead the agency. Shortly after, Lewis announced they found $144,000 dollars worth of purchases on the company card they believed were non-business related. Digging deeper into MATA's spending at spa, Amazon and more He said outside counsel has been hired to investigate the matter, and the state's comptroller's office was notified. Meanwhile, we're still waiting on the results from the auditing firm the city also hired. Mauldin was placed on leave in March. Her attorney, Vanecia Belser Kimbrow, told Your News Leader the card was in Mauldin's name but managed by the administration, and the charges in question have reasonable explanations.'The expenses were 100% reimbursed as related to the spa treatment by CIGNA insurance as part of the company's health and wellness plan,' she said. Mauldin was terminated weeks later for reportedly violating MATA's procurement and travel policy. ► Part One of this series: MATA credit cards show thousands spent on domestic, international travel Her attorney also told us, 'It's quite remarkable that Trans Pro, self proclaimed industry experts, now seeks to lay over 8+ years of poor financial controls, operational shortfalls, mismanagement, and the ills created by the well documented underfunding of MATA for over 8 years at Mrs. Mauldin's feet after she disclosed the sad state of MATA to its Board BEFORE she became Interim.' She added, 'Trans Pro must now earn its glory by peddling mischaracterized information that's deminimus at best, based upon policies and procedures that existed or not, which all preceded Mrs. Mauldin's 8 months of service as Interim CEO. Yet there's no mention of anyone except the Black Woman that held the seat for a short 8 months?' In a statement Wednesday, Kimbrow added, 'Mauldin was dealing with the terminal illness of her mother, who has since passed' and also 'struggling with a painful illness that made it impossible to travel on a small or cramped flight.' Mauldin booked one way flights to give her 'flexibility with her advocacy and meeting efforts,' and 'afforded her the ability to leave a meeting and travel directly home to Birmingham to be by her dying mother's side.' Kimbrow stated other government agencies 'give donations/sponsorships,' it's 'customary for any professional to take an Uber or car service,' and the Mont Blanc purchase was 'the retirement gift' for Rosenfeld. Lewis argued the past is now in their rearview mirror. He said the goal now is to rebuild trust and the agency's bank account. 'It's unfortunate we find ourselves in this situation,' he said. Get the latest from the WREG Investigators in your inbox When Mauldin started, two out of three buses were on time, according to the city's website. In 2022 and throughout 2023, half of MATA's buses ran late. The number only improved slightly last year. As of February, the city reports 64% of buses are on time. Mauldin's attorney sent WREG a response on her behalf. Here it is in its entirety: Mrs. Mauldin is still recovering from surgery and remains on FMLA, federally protected leave, despite her unlawful termination while on leave. Mrs. Mauldin was the interim for only a short time, 8 months to be exact. During which time she was directed by the Board to ' man the ship' while they embarked on a National Search for a permanent CEO. She took the assignment without any pay increase because she has a heart to serve the Citizens of Memphis and the employees of MATA. I will note that during her short tenure, Mrs. Mauldin was dealing with the terminal illness of her mother, who has since passed away; as well as struggling with painful illness that made it impossible to travel on small or cramped flights. She had been booked for surgery and FMLA prior to being appointed Interim, but given the unexpected exit of the prior CEO, she delayed a much needed surgery to 'man the ship' as requested by the Board, for what had been described as a short appointment as interim while they conducted a national search for the next CEO. I'll note that this short Interim Appointment as the Interim to man the ship came only with the interim title, and had no matching compensation. She was directed to just maintain the status quo and work with the practices, policies, and procedures that had been in place, while the Board worked to recruit a permanent CEO. ALL of the policies and procedures Mrs. Mauldin followed were in place, and well established before she assumed the Interim Post. As Deputy, she had no direct involvement with any MATA finances, review or otherwise; but rather was charged to advocate for added funding and better conditions for the drivers, and managing relations with the riders. She had no seat at any financial planning or oversight. She often presented reports prepared for her as directed by the CEO. The rational for her one way flights were two fold. 1) Single flights allowed her flexibility with her advocacy and meeting efforts to bring additional funds and best practices to MATA. Meetings with legislative agencies are not always definitive, and require fluidity. 2) Further, one way flights afforded her the ability to leave a meeting and travel directly home to Birmingham to be by her dying mother's side during a very tender time. She balanced the needs of MATA while dealing with extreme physical pain and the task of being a caregiver for her terminally ill Mother. Mrs. Mauldin required and has had two complete knee replacements. Her condition was so acutely that she could not bend her knees to fit into cramped seat, it was a physical impossibility. As such, upgrading to a seat that would accommodated her well documented medical condition was a necessity, and not a frivolous luxury. Mrs. Mauldin's chief responsibility as Deputy Director was Community Engagement and securing funding to support MATA. As the Chief community liaison, forging goodwill and raising the brand and profile of MATA was a core job responsibility. Therefore, partnering with an array of community groups and nonprofit organizations to raise awareness of the MATA brand was a function of her job. While you point to her supporting Get Out The Vote efforts with her sorority (whose founding principal involved promoting voting rights and awareness), the initial partnership to Get Out The Vote and MATA's Free Rides to the Polls Campaign was a partnership with The Election Commission. Moreover, it's not a new effort, it was just better publicized effort because of the well established work of her sorority in this space. The goal was to get voters to the polls, at no cost, to exercise their civic duty. MATA's voter awareness and GOTV efforts were spawned by a partnership with the Shelby County Election Commission, and was joined by all of the Divine 9 Greek Letter Organizations, and other nonprofit groups that raised Voter Awareness, and not 'just' her sorority. This type public partnership is not unlike many corporate entities, including those funded by EDGE, The Memphis Chamber, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Methodist, Baptist, The City of Memphis, and Shelby County Government, to name a few. All of the foregoing entities give donations/ sponsorships to other notable civic groups such as The Women's Foundation and their mission to empower underserved Women in Memphis. It's only because there is an attempt to paint her in a negative light that her community engagement work is under attack. Her creativity in this space should be celebrated, because her work empowered citizens and raised MATA's goodwill and brand. She was doing her job masterfully. Moreover, the policies in place regarding such community efforts preceded Mrs. Mauldin, were approved by her CEO, were supported by her Board, and were a continuation of similar approved activity that preceded her employment with MATA. Her actions were not arbitrary, but an extension of her job to build goodwill and rebuild the damaged MATA Brand. As Deputy and Interim, she had substantial support from the broader community as well as from the bus drivers and its union for her creative approach to transportation, including the launch of a program for college students to earn while training Rogers how to use the digital apps to track busses and map routes. The charge to Monte Blanc was the retirement gift to the former CEO Gary Rosenfeld. When traveling to multiple offices for meeting while visiting legislators, attending transit conferences or trainings, and representing MATA, it is customary for any professional to take an Uber or car service and not rent a car in a strange place or metropolitan area where parking is often hard to find and very expensive. My office is reviewing other charges on Mrs. Mauldin's card that was rarely in her physical possession. The standard operating practice for the credit card was that it was held by the Executive Assistant to the CEO, who would make most required purchases for the entire division, in addition to booking most of her travel arrangements. These charges were then submitted to and approved by the appropriate fiscal officer, who would sign off on the charges. While the practice may not have been ideal, it is the practice that long precede Mrs. Maudlin being asked to 'man the ship' for a short time, with no CFO pay or privilege to match the title. It was under Mrs. Mauldin's short tenure that she ended the contract on the suite with the Grizzlies. It was Mrs. Mauldin that conducted the independent audit that revealed the grave fiscal issues that had been unreported. Mrs. Mauldins produced and presented the first budget and conducted an audit for the first time in several years. Mrs. Mauldin was the 'Whistleblower', which should have afforded her several federal protections for her job. Prior to her assuming the interim seat, she had NO involvement in the fiscal controls of MATA. It is only because of Mrs. Mauldin's dedication to the Citizen's of Memphis, the drivers she supported, coupled with her diligence and bravery to come forward and reveal the truth about the fiscal standing of MATA, are we here today. This is a witch hunt and an attempt lay at years of MATA's woes at the feet of Mrs. Mauldin, which proof will show that she is the victim and a patsy of an embarrassed administration and a non-performing replacement. Trans-Pro didn't blow the lid off the financial misgivings and dated /lacking policies and controls, it was Mrs. Baccara Mauldin. It is Mrs. Mauldin that the public should be thanking for her courage and bravery to tell the truth last fall. If you all would review the timeline of the meetings and presentations and findings of the audit that Mrs. Mauldin had completed, as well as the 'Whistleblower' status that had been assigned to her by MATA's prior legal counsel, who was abruptly fired by John Lewis of Trans Pro, after being advised during her short tenure, it will show that her goal as exhibited by her exemplary efforts to get an audit, produce financials for the first time in over 18 months, was to Right the Ship and not simply Man The Ship, as she had been charged by her Board. Her story will prove to be groundbreaking as this saga unfolds with pending litigation as soon as my client is recovered and released from her doctor's care and released from FMLA. HER Story is forthcoming and what a revealing story it will be. John Lewis' attempts to garner fame on the back of Bacarra Mauldin will be short lived. She opened MATA's books and not TransPro. Their focus should be on performing the requirements of their 1.2 Million contract and not withholding the legal earnings of a sick and disabled employee while out on approved Family Medical Leave while recovering from a very difficult surgery, with no due process, spewing allegations filled with slander and libel to shock the conscience of an unassuming community that's often distracted from the facts by sensationalized news. Like many others, they will come, get paid, and go, leaving public transit no better, while the victim who was actually making real progress has her character assassinated in the news. While some of the choices made may be unpopular, none are illegal nor a knowing and willful violation of MATA policy. She was not afforded any grace, nor time to grow into the role, as any new job would require, she has been left to the wolves. But her day for Justice will come. If you need anything further, I will be happy to address your concerns, after my client is well and recovered from her illness. I ask that the media respect the directions of her medical team, and allow her the appropriate time to heal. Please find attached her Approved FMLA documentation for your records. She was and has been on leave since these unfortunate inflammatory allegations were first levied. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Digging deeper into MATA's spending at spa, Amazon and more
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An investigation into $144,000 in charges racked up on the Memphis Area Transit Authority's executive credit card. It's your taxpayer money, and it's not the only spending being called into question. WREG Investigators have spent months digging deeper into MATA's finances after it announced a $60 million deficit. Friday, the MATA board received a new bombshell by Interim CEO John Lewis. MATA Deputy CEO on leave over misspent funds Lewis works for the outside firm TransPro hired to take a closer look at the transit authority's operations. Lewis claims he's now found questionable spending. 'Office supplies, parking, dues and subscriptions. Substantial amount in travel and meeting expenses. Rent for this building and space,' Lewis said. He said there were other charges on the executive's American Express credit card. WREG Investigators reported on some of the expenses Lewis revealed, like the millions spent when the executive office moved to a downtown high-rise, and another half-million spent on a Grizzlies sponsorship and a suite at FedExForum. MATA spent millions on new office, furniture, Grizzlies suite, more 'This includes concerts, Disney on Ice and whatever might come into it. Anything, but the playoffs,' then-CEO Gary Rosenfeld stated at the May 2023 board meeting when the expense was approved. New reports reveal MATA spent another $20,000 in purchases during those games. Lewis says other expenses he's now questioning are $7,000 spent at Best Buy, $10,000 at Amazon, $10,000 on party equipment and $10,000 more on entertainment items like the spa and Massage on the Go. Also, a $1,200 purchase at Montblanc, which makes designer ballpoint pens. Through the Tennessee Records Act, WREG Investigators requested the credit card statements more than six months ago, as well as other public records to help us understand how MATA has spent your tax dollars. Their attorney told us we would get the info in 'due course.' As of January, our requests for an update have gone unanswered. Memphis officials and the Tennessee Comptroller's office have been made aware of the spending, and the board was informed Mauldin was placed on leave pending what comes from it. 'So I knew that there were some financial challenges, but honestly, I had no idea, the ride that we were about to be on,' Bacarra Mauldin said during an interview in November. 'We're doing an expense review, and we are still do that until this day. We're looking at travel. We're looking at supplies and equipment.' Mauldin held top roles at MATA since 2021. She stepped into the interim CEO role last year. When TransPro took over this year, she became the Deputy CEO. Get the latest from the WREG Investigators in your inbox Mauldin's attorney Vanecia Belser Kimbrow said Friday that Mauldin has been on medical leave, and while the credit card is in her name, it's 'managed by the entire administration.' She assured us more will come out and assured us the expenses are 'business-related.' 'Those expenses were 100% reimbursed as related to the spa treatment by CIGNA insurance as part of the company's health and wellness plan,' Kimbrow said. Lewis also told the board Friday they have found what he called 'deliberate deception' by MATA's leadership. As of late April, he reported one out of every five routes on the schedule didn't actually exist. He said services were cut without a board vote, but MATA still kept the old schedule up. 'The public was deliberately misled,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What Memphis Mayor Paul Young told Reddit users about crime, housing problems, xAI and BBQ
Mayor Paul Young took time to connect with Memphis residents in a new way: reddit. Reddit, an anonymous social media app, is home to a Memphis subreddit with about 94,000 members. Young jumped on the app Monday to answer questions from Memphians about the city. There were over 600 comments on his post where he asked residents to pose questions on progress, upcoming initiatives, or any concerns people may have. In his response session on Monday, Young gave out about 10 comments responding to some of the top-voted questions. These questions ranged in topics from car break-ins to xAI to which BBQ shop he preferred. Here's what Young had to say. Young said the priority with MATA is to replace the old and outdated fleet the city is currently working with. His team wants to address issues with frequency in the system. The team believes people should know when a bus is coming, when buses are delayed, how long delays are, and how often people are denied trips. The team is also taking a look into smaller areas where full-sized city buses may not be needed. Young cites an interim role with TransPro to help sustain and stabilize MATA as a way the city is working towards these goals. One user posed a question on what Young's team is doing to make the first glimpse into the city more appealing for travelers. For most people leaving the airport, they take Plough Blvd, which turns into Airways Blvd, towards the interstate. Young said his team is working on a redesign of Plough Blvd and the green areas separating the north and south lanes. The plan is to also have groups going out and picking up litter, cutting grass and making the area more aesthetically pleasing for anyone going to or leaving the airport. Memphis is a city where investment groups have taken over part of the housing market. Young addressed the fact that 46% of Memphis homes are owner-occupied where the national average is 64%. Many neighborhoods are fighting a battle where investment groups are outbidding local families which also makes it harder for families to build wealth through homeownership. "One of the biggest problems we've seen is that many of these neighborhoods weren't built to be rental communities," Young wrote in the forum. "These were historically owner-occupied neighborhoods, but over the past several years, large investment groups have outbid local families and turned them into rental properties." There are two things Young's team is working to address. His team is working to make more incentives for affordable housing development and starter homes. Young's Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which was established in 2019, is one tool that the city is using to help renters transition to ownership. Secondly, his team is looking at how taxes are structured. Like many residents, the team does not believe a company owning homes in the city should be taxed the same as residents living in their home. His team wants to enact a change so housing investment companies are taxed commercially at 40% rather than residentially at 25%. In addressing xAI in Memphis, Young made sure to reassure residents that he is working prevent environmental harm to the city. "I know people have raised environmental concerns, and those were my first questions when I sat down with xAI," Young wrote. "Water usage was a big one, because we have one of the best natural aquifers in the world, and I wanted to make sure that wasn't being threatened." To help xAI not rely on or overuse the aquifer, the company is building an $80 million gray water facility to recycle wastewater. This is expected to reduce aquifer usage by 9% overall. The company is also working with MLGW and TVA regarding energy usage. When the city requests for reduced energy usage to prevent power outages, xAI has agreed to completely move the supercomputer off grid and onto battery power to reduce strain on the system. Drivers may have noticed a large number of drive out tags on Memphis roads recently. While some are real, there is an issue in the city with fake drive out tags being printed illegally. Young wrote that officers have been trained to identify fake tags and instructed to pull over vehicles with them. Officers are also working to determine where these tags are being printed to prevent any more from getting on the streets. According to Young's response, Memphis Police have been trying to cut back on vehicle break-ins by increasing officer presence in high traffic areas around the city. They are also expending the use of technology to monitor key corridors. "The reality is that a small number of individuals are causing the most damage, and we're focused on cracking down on them," Young wrote. So far, these efforts have proved fruitful in reducing crime. The motor vehicle theft rate dropped from 2,565.3 motor vehicle thefts per 100,000 people in 2023 to 1,607.3 thefts in 2024, reflecting a 37.3% decrease. One of the harder-hitting questions for the mayor asked him his preference on barbecue in the city. Living in a barbecue hub means there are numerous places to choose, but for the mayor, it depends on what he is in the mood for. "The spaghetti from BBQ Shop and the smoked chicken wings from Central are amazing," Young wrote. "Baked beans from BBQ Shop and the Mac and Cheese from Central are my picks." This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Memphis Mayor Paul Young said about xAI, housing, crime on reddit
