Bain Paid By City Since Resignation from Council

Former Wilmer City Councilwoman Theresa Bain allegedly collected a paycheck from the City of Wilmer that included "holiday overtime pay" for work over the Independence Day weekend "as a contractor", according to a confidential source.
Certain full-time city employees for critical services required to work holidays are eligible to receive additional compensation incentives. Full time employees generally are granted "holiday pay" at their standard rate. However, a contractor (not a city employee) would not be eligible for either type of incentive pay. Wilmer Public Citizen has confirmed that Ms. Bain did submit time sheets through the Wilmer Municipal Court which included an eight hour entry for holiday pay, at her standard hourly rate of #14.50.
The information was obtained by Public Information Act request, which included all contracts, invoices, conflicts of interest statements, time sheets, vouchers. In a letter mailed September 19, the City stated that no such contracts exist and Ms. Bain is in fact a city employee. It is unknown time what duties Ms. Bain performs for the Municipal Court, but apparently she is and has been a full time city employee since she resigned from the City Council.

Initially it was reported that Ms. Bain's request for holiday pay was approved for payment by City Administrator Thom Lauer, but Wilmer Public Citizen has confirmed that Municipal Judge Paula Allen signed the time sheet reports. No other signatures appeared on the time sheet reports inspected and no other payment voucher information was included other than file copies of each pay stub (reproduced on a single page with the time sheet). The City did not furnish any original documents for inspection, only photocopied composite documents.

Readers may remember that Ms. Bain vacated her position on the city council to avoid nepotism charges in order that her son-in-law Mr. Thom Lauer could be rehired as City Administrator. The Dallas County District Attorney's office indicated that they could not comment on pending investigations nor confirm any charges had been filed. (ED Note: Dallas Morning News Nepotism article click here)