Tuesday was the day the administration was supposed to present a report to the public and the City Council explaining the payment of $74,000 to Jose Torres, former mayor of Paterson, Charles Thomas, the city’s business administrator, presented a packet of documents to council members regarding the incident.
Four weeks ago William McKoy, the 3rd Ward councilman, requested a comprehensive report from the mayor’s office regarding the severance payment to Torres, who received $74,000 in check during his last week in office. The revelation came, when Aslon Goow, a bitter foe of Torres’, went in front of the council and showed a document that stated, the former mayor was paid a large sum of money prior to leaving office. Torres maintains that the money was earned; he informed another newspaper that the total amount came from his sick days which he accumulated, he maintains, while working for various city positions.
“There will be scheduled, in the next two weeks, a series of interviews with the appropriate personnel, with respect to these documents,” said Thomas. When Andre Sayegh, the council president, asked Thomas when he would have a report ready for the council, Thomas said, “Within the next two weeks.”
Thomas said, once the interviews are completed with the key people that played a role in doling out the severance check, the council would receive copies of interview transcripts. “Once these are completed,” said Thomas. “The interviews will be provided to the council.”