Safety Harbor finance director fired

SAFETY HARBOR — City Finance Director JoAnne Ryan has been fired after the city manager said he discovered unauthorized personal transactions on a city credit card.

Ryan was on vacation earlier this month when City Manager Matt Spoor opened documents relating to an American Express bill that would normally have gone to her. Spoor said he found numerous unauthorized transactions, most for flights, rental cars and hotel rooms relating to a Clearwater youth basketball team that her daughters played for.

Ryan was placed on administrative leave without pay on Aug. 18 and fired two days later. A state attorney's investigation could conclude within two weeks, according to Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney Bernie McCabe.

In Ryan's termination letter, Spoor wrote: "You admitted to a state attorney's office investigator and me that since Oct. 2007, you had used the city's American Express card for 44 unauthorized personal transactions totaling $12,909. Most of these expenses were incurred in connection with the Clearwater Green Wave AAU basketball club. In addition, you admitted to performing inappropriate accounting actions in connection with your unauthorized personal use of the credit card.''

She had worked for the city for 24 years and was finance director for 18. She won numerous awards for her budgets.

She has been deeply involved in basketball since her teenage years at St. Vincent Ferrer High School in New York City. In the late 1970s, she played at Wilkes College.

Records show that in 1998, Ryan founded a nonprofit called the Clearwater High Lady Tornadoes Basketball Booster Club. Her daughter, Nicole, was a standout player for Clearwater High as well as the Green Wave. She now plays for American University.

"I'm saddened and disappointed that a person whom we all held in such high regard would betray our trust,'' said Mayor Andy Steingold.

Times researcher Shirl Kennedy contributed to this report. Eileen Schulte can be reached at schulte@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4153.

Comments on this article

by Becca	Sep 2, 2008 2:35 PM
I second Andrew!!!! The Ryan's are a wonderful family!!

by anonymous	Sep 2, 2008 2:28 PM
bad choices made i agree,but the kids names really should have been left out.

by jim	Aug 31, 2008 3:28 PM
Let's wait til the truth comes out be you people start the lynching, not like the TIMES has already done.Yes she made a mistake,and it is a shame but she and her entire family are one of the nicest,kindest most caring people i've ever meet bless them

by Darlene	Aug 29, 2008 3:19 PM
Many of you who make such nasty know-it-all comments know nothing of this - the Ryan's are a terrific family. Bad judgement maybe - stealing no way! I will wait until all the facts come out before crucifying her. And leave the kids out of it.

by friend	Aug 29, 2008 6:19 AM
Joanne is a kind, caring women. What she did is wrong but she has a heart of gold and helps many of our kids stay in school. I find it sad that people comment on someone they don't know.

by hs	Aug 29, 2008 6:19 AM
stop focusing on the kids and look at the problem. If she did it now ,chances are she has been doing a long time.

by Kathy	Aug 29, 2008 6:19 AM
Someone at the Times should be looking for a new job after being so ignorant as to publish the names and schools of JoAnne's daughters. Perhaps the reporter, the researcher, and the editor who let it go to print with this information! Unbelievable!!

by Craig	Aug 29, 2008 5:54 AM
Bob, you're a moron. "What about a 7-11 clerk?" This woman was a CITY employee spending taxpayer's money. The 7-11 dude is stealing private money. Some of you people will whine about ANYTHING.

by Common Sense	Aug 28, 2008 8:01 PM
Lousy journalism. Eileen obviously wanted to be the first to drop this story, didnt have enough info to carry it, so had to throw in some kids names. Great job! The editor is classless, and so is the "journalist" who wrote it.

by Fritz	Aug 28, 2008 8:00 PM
Andrew, if stealing does not speak to someone's character, what on earth does?!!! A "mistake" implies that this was an accident. It's easy to be generous with other people's $. Nobody here is indicting her family. Now get your head out of the sand.

by Cliff	Aug 28, 2008 6:19 PM
Y'all look at her property taxes...unreal...looks like something else needs to be investigated while we are at it.

by Cliff	Aug 28, 2008 5:16 PM
I want her to pay for her crimes! Jail time for this disgusting criminal is justice! I want to see the mug-shot.

by Carol	Aug 28, 2008 5:14 PM
I am appalled at the lack of professionalism displayed in the mere printing of such an article. In addition, I find it most unfortunate that the writer found it necessary to include the children. Do they not have enough? Shame on the Times!

by Rex	Aug 28, 2008 5:00 PM
This woman MUST be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and, if found guilty be given the MAXIMUM prison sentence allowed by law. This is a betrayal of the public trust at a time when GOOD people are losing their jobs!

by Scammer	Aug 28, 2008 3:03 PM
This person should have to repay the city and should get jail time for stealing taxpayers money. And make the kids go visit her in jail, but don't mention their names.

by Terri	Aug 28, 2008 2:16 PM
You do something illegal it becomes public knowledge ? so if you don?t want your family brought down with you think twice before you do anything illegal.

by Larry	Aug 28, 2008 1:32 PM
Bob are you related to JaAnn, or a High Ranking offical in another city.

by John	Aug 28, 2008 1:32 PM
Wonder how many other times she did this in her 24 years and how much she has cost the city? Research it and make her pay it back double if not triple This should be checked every month for discrepencies and acted on immediatly if any are found.

by michelle	Aug 28, 2008 1:32 PM
I dont agree with giving the kids name. Now the kids for to listen to things. if this was you would you want name kids named!!!!! That is very Wrong

by Andrew	Aug 28, 2008 1:31 PM
Anyone who knows JoAnne or the Ryan family would know that they are incredible people. This mistake does not speak for their charachter, and anyone who has talked to them would know that. They are great respectable people with huge hearts.

by pete	Aug 28, 2008 1:31 PM
you make the decision to steal or decit you get caught you deal with the consequences. her children can leran a valuable lesson from this. 24 years- and this is only since october 2007- what else is missing at city hall??

by Mrs A	Aug 28, 2008 1:31 PM
Ms. Ryan took almost $13,000 (that she's admitted to) of taxpayer's money and spent it on her daughters' sports activities, then "cooked the books" to cover-up her theft. All so she could relive her "glory days" vicariously through her kids.

by Bob	Aug 28, 2008 11:40 AM
Why is this news worthy? What about the 7-11 clerk who took cash? Can that make the news tomorrow?

by tim	Aug 28, 2008 11:21 AM
Oh well, give her a big government pension (24 years, you know) and let her think about all the harm she caused - while laying on a beach in Costa Rica.

by Jason A.	Aug 28, 2008 11:19 AM
Proof that there is no such thing as Victimless Crimes. She made her daughters the victims here by dipping her hand into another piggy bank. Perhaps people will realize that they can hurt their family lives as well as ruin their own.

by Nina	Aug 28, 2008 11:18 AM
Kudos to the Times for printing rule-breaking behind the doors of government. Why NOT mention the kids names? The mother should have thought of that before she tangled her kids up in the web of illegal government spending!

by Grace	Aug 28, 2008 11:12 AM
Typical of someone having too much power with no checks and balances. Shouldnt the city do an internal audit every three to five years for the protection of the tax payers money?

by Barnaby	Aug 27, 2008 4:22 PM
You can feel bad for the family, however I wouldn't feel sorry for her. Sometimes you gotta live with the decisions you make...

by Spencer4hire	Aug 27, 2008 4:18 PM
Yes, Shame in the St. Pete Times. No need to Punish her family!I hope your family never goes thru any thing like this!!!

by Frank	Aug 27, 2008 4:18 PM
Thanks to the times the daughters can now hold their heads high. AWFUL! This is wrong what Joanne did was wrong but printing her childrens name and where they go to school- how senseless are you? Joanne has faced the music- her children should NOT!

by John	Aug 27, 2008 2:26 PM
I'm honestly cancelling my subscription to St. Pete Times today; as are my parents. Mentioning the children names? Unbelievable.

by KEN	Aug 27, 2008 1:57 PM
Why mention her daughters name and not the husband and son?? I wish her and the family peace during these trying times. Show me one perfect human being!!!

by Goldie	Aug 27, 2008 12:59 PM
While I understand what this woman did was totally wrong, I see absolutely no reason why her daughters names and where they go to school had to be mentioned. Peer pressure can be horrible. Shame on you St Pete Times.

by Employee	Aug 27, 2008 12:48 PM
Joe is correct. NO NEED at all to mention the childrens names. I am sure this is a snesative issue for both the City and the Ryan Family. Shame on the times- shame on you.

by Joe	Aug 27, 2008 12:16 PM
You could have reported this story without mentioning the kids names.