Auditors at the City of Hartford’s Internal Audit Department indicated they were “very concerned” about the lack of adequate supervision, staffing, and job responsibilities in the city’s Office of Sustainability as it relates to a $6 million federal grant, which is now the subject of a federal lawsuit by a former city employee who claims she was instructed to make “misleading representations” in grant reports to get federal reimbursement.
The $6 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture was received in 2023 with much fanfare from then-Mayor Luke Bronin, Rep. John Larson, and Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal. The grant would reportedly be used to “expand access to trees and green spaces in disadvantaged communities,” through planting trees and “community education, outreach, and engagement,” according to the press release.
“Trees can improve lives in so many different ways, and I want residents to know that we will be strategic about placing trees where they are needed most,” said Cecelia Drayton, Director of the Office of Sustainability, in the 2023 press release. “That means planting new trees on front lawns and in public spaces, and it also means keeping the trees we currently have healthy and taking down the trees that could pose a risk to the community.”
However, according to the audit released on June 1, 2026, so far not much has been done with that grant lately aside from charging staff salaries to the small part of the grant that is set aside for payroll. Auditors expressed concern that the Office of Sustainability wouldn’t be able to “properly manage the project and spend the funds available,” ahead of the 2029 deadline.
“Audit did review expenses posted to the grant project in Munis. Currently, most of the expenses are salary,” Chief Auditor Donna Barberi wrote. “Upon review of the posted salary transactions, it was discovered that Sustainability Associate Meghan Boesch had been erroneously coded to the grant. Shanice Smith was hired for the grant funded position, but her salary was not posted to the grant.”
“It should also be noted that Sustainability Associate Meghan Boesch left the City of Hartford in the beginning of March and currently, there are no payroll expenses posted to the grant,” the audit continued. “The end date for this grant is June 30, 2029. The Capital Stewardship Initiative grant is a huge undertaking with a large budget and a tight deadline. I am very concerned about the lack of staffing and whether there is adequate supervision to properly manage the project and spend the funds available.”
Furthermore, Shanice Smith, who was hired for the USDA grant funded position noted in the audit, has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Hartford and Drayton, alleging she was terminated after “objecting to what she reasonably believed would be inaccurate or misleading representations in materials used to obtain or justify reimbursement and approval under a federally funded grant.”
“Plaintiff reasonably understood Drayton’s instructions to mean the Plaintiff was expected to process, support, or remain silent about reimbursement and reporting entries that Plaintiff believed were inaccurate, misleading, or unsupported by the grant award language and budget structure,” attorney Patrick Jennings of the Ment Law Group wrote. “Plaintiff was terminated because she objected to, refused to facilitate, and reported what she reasonably believed to be unlawful or misleading conduct involving federally funded grant reimbursements and reporting.”
Smith is seeking lost pay and benefits, reinstatement, compensatory damages, and attorneys’ fees.
The audit also noted a discrepancy between expenses reported for the grant and those contained in the city’s payroll system. Barberi wrote that she reached out to Drayton to discuss the matter but did not receive a reply. The auditors then notified the Director of Management, Budget, Grants and Revenue “for further review.”
Failure to meet the terms of a grant means not only that the city will lose access to those grant dollars but could possibly have to repay what has been charged. It could also jeopardize future grant funding opportunities.
City officials, however, indicated to Inside Investigator that the grant is primarily to cover contract expenses for work being done to further the goal of the grant — primarily creating green spaces in disadvantaged communities. The city feels that three years is plenty of time to complete their goals and meet the terms of the grant, and that salaries are only a portion of the award.
The grant funds were purportedly used for creation of the Capital Forest Stewardship Initiative which was announced in 2025 and provides free tree planting for Hartford residents with the goal of planting over 1,200 trees in the city. According to the initiative’s website, however, it appears that less than 100 trees have been planted, thus far.
Drayton did not respond directly to Inside Investigator’s request for comment. However, Hartford Spokesman Cristian Corza-Godinez said they had requested the audit to ensure they were administering the grant money properly.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the city asked for this audit to be conducted in an effort to ensure every grant dollar is administered according to the grant agreement,” Corza-Godinez wrote in an emailed statement.
In addition to losing staff members and facing a lawsuit, auditors noted that the Office of Sustainability “does not currently have documented procedures for job functions.”
Barberi wrote that Drayton was only able to provide a one-page “vision summary” of Hartford’s climate action plan and onboarding documents that are to be completed in the first two weeks of an employee’s hire, but could not provide documents “detailing the required steps necessary to perform the functions of their job effectively and efficiently.”
City officials, however, said they provided the auditors with job descriptions and responsibilities.
Hartford’s Internal Audit Department recently experienced a shakeup when Hartford City Treasurer Carmen Sierra opted not to reappoint long-time Audit Department Commissioner Bruce Rubenstein. Rubenstein claimed in comments to the Hartford Courant that he was replaced just as the Audit Department was preparing to audit the city’s pension fund.
Two pension commissioners, including former State Treasurer Shawn Wooden, have resigned citing concerns with how the office is being operated. The Audit Department Commissioners, however, voted to initiate an audit of the Municipal Employees Retirement Fund on May 29.
According to the 2023 press release, Hartford has set a goal of 35 percent tree coverage in the city by 2070.
“With climate change exacerbating the urban heat island effect, increasing canopy coverage can allow direct sunlight and heat to be absorbed and diffused,” the press release stated. “In accordance with the City’s Tree Canopy Action Plan, the City will prioritize the neighborhoods which currently have the least canopy coverage.”
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