Bice: Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission paid PR firm $61,500 to deal with media, help leader's 'brand' during tumultuous year

From JSOnline:

Daniel Bice

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Griselda Aldrete says her office became overwhelmed shortly after she was appointed executive director of the Fire and Police Commission.  

So just months after she took the position, Aldrete retained an outside public relations firm with a no-bid contract to lend her a helping hand.

Regalis Management, a one-man shop headed by Chez Ordoñez, was paid $7,500 a month to deal with the media, oversee social media and burnish the agency's image.

The total cost to taxpayers, according to the city comptroller: $61,500.

"Well, it didn't work," said Ald. Robert Bauman, when told details of the PR contract last week. 

Bauman was referring to the fact that Aldrete is soon headed out the door, the city is now looking for a permanent police chief and the former head of the Fire and Police Commission has been embroiled in an ethics controversy for much of the past year.

Under Aldrete's leadership, the agency has struggled to complete routine tasks and to deal with transparency issues. 

Read more: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/daniel-bice/2020/09/21/milwaukee-fire-and-police-commission-spent-61-500-pr-firm-griselda-aldrete-taxpayer-money/5851923002/