ST. LOUIS 鈥� One of Comptroller Darlene Green鈥檚 top deputies has been demoted and is now on leave, creating another hole in an office already dealing with staff turnover while it works to adopt a new accounting system and keep up with the city鈥檚 financial transactions.

LaTaunia Kenner had been one of Green鈥檚 two deputy comptrollers, handling the side of the office dealing with public finance and development as well as other duties such as real estate and the city鈥檚 Amtrak and Greyhound station. She is now listed as 鈥淔iscal Operations Support Manager-Real Estate鈥� on the comptroller鈥檚 website. People who spoke to the Post-Dispatch on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution said she is now on leave from the office.

It isn鈥檛 the first time Green has sidelined a top deputy.

Kenner got the job after the sudden ouster of James Garavaglia, a veteran employee who rose through the ranks to become deputy comptroller in 2016, a position he held for three years before being escorted out of City Hall by an armed marshal in July 2019. Garavaglia sued in 2020, alleging Green forced him out to make way for Kenner, but a judge dismissed the case last year.

In 2016, Green put her chief of staff, longtime employee Elaine Spearman, on forced leave, according to court documents. Spearman鈥檚 position was later eliminated from the office.

It鈥檚 unclear why Kenner鈥檚 responsibilities were reduced. Kenner could not be reached via an email address and phone number listed for her.

Green, in an email response to questions about Kenner鈥檚 status, said she was not 鈥渙bliged to entertain or address鈥� what she called 鈥渞umors.鈥�

Reminded that her office鈥檚 page on the city鈥檚 website no longer lists Kenner as deputy comptroller, Green responded: 鈥淢y quote which is in quotations is an accurate quote.鈥�

Kenner鈥檚 departure comes as Beverly Fitzsimmons, the office鈥檚 other deputy comptroller who oversees city accounting duties, prepares to retire. She had been planning to retire but agreed to stay on through the end of the year, according to a person familiar with the matter. Fitzsimmons has worked for city government since 1980.

Green has recently lost other employees. Her spokesman left last year and has not been replaced. And two employees who handled duties related to major developments and tax incentives recently retired, contributing to delays redeeming tax incentives agreed to with Union Station鈥檚 redeveloper. The City Counselor鈥檚 office has now recommended hiring a firm to review the tax incentive financials maintained by Green鈥檚 office.

And Green herself has acknowledged a messy rollout of a new citywide accounting system after an alderman complained at a budget hearing about city contractors waiting months to get paid. She blamed the city鈥檚 consultant, Accenture, for much of the issue.

Kenner had held a relatively high profile role in recent years, helping to finalize the deal to issue the city鈥檚 half of $210 million in bonds for the ongoing expansion of the downtown convention center. She represented Green鈥檚 office and chaired a panel made up of officials from the city, St. Louis County and the Convention and Visitors Commission that coordinated the project. Its last meeting, on May 23, was chaired by Kenner.

Kenner also represented Green on the St. Louis Municipal Finance Corporation, which oversees many city bond issues.

But on July 5, at the Municipal Finance Corporation鈥檚 annual meeting, Kenner, the chair, wasn鈥檛 there. Green was.

Mayor Tishaura O. Jones鈥� Director of Operations, Nancy Cross, opened the meeting, saying it was 鈥渉er understanding鈥� that Kenner was 鈥渙n leave right now.鈥�

鈥淎nd as a result, as the vice-chair, I鈥檓 chairing this meeting,鈥� Cross said.

Green chimed in: 鈥淚 have sent a written revocation of my designee as required by the bylaws,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y representative is hereby revoked immediately.鈥�

The five-member panel 鈥� made up of Cross, City Counselor Sheena Hamilton, Aldermanic President Megan Green鈥檚 chief of staff Jay Nelson, Budget Director Paul Payne and Comptroller Green 鈥� voted unanimously to elect Comptroller Green as president.

鈥淭he comptroller has resumed her role as president of the fund corporation,鈥� Cross said. 鈥滱nd I will hand it over to you at this particular moment if you would like, Madame Comptroller.鈥�

Austin Huguelet of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.