City Suspends Two

City Manager Robert Healy recently suspended two directors of the Cambridge Arts Council without pay, city officials said yesterday.

Cambridge police and the city's District Attorney's Office have begun an investigation of the financial records of the Arts Council, according to Detective Frank Pasquarello of the Cambridge police.

The Boston Globe reported yesterday that the investigation will look at an allegation that the two suspended officials, Arts Council Director Annabelle Herbert and Deputy Director Roy Alan Hansen, received $4,000 to $5,000 a year for undocumented expenses not approved by the Council or the city manager's office.

Richard Rossi, deputy city manager said it is an "issue of the city manager being dissatisfied with the financial handlings of the council."

According to Rossi, Healy was unhappy with the financial records and therefore decided to suspend Hebert and Hansen without pay.

Healy started a financial review in response to concerns of the citizen's board of the arts council.

"Some of the board were concerned with the ongoing management of the arts council. They wanted to seek improvement of operation of the council," Rossi said.

Last week, the investigation of the financial records was turned over to the city police, according to Rossi. "We don't have the legal right to request records. [Healy] felt it was best to get police involved," Rossi said.

"The Cambridge police department and the district attorney's office are investigating financial administration of arts council," said Detective Frank T. Pasquarello.

Pasquarello would not comment other than say the investigators would be "strictly doing record checks."