As a candidate for Town of Owasco supervisor, I am writing to express my concern over the recent article reported on Sept. 14, along with the cartoon on Sept. 23, regarding the Town of Owasco. The lack of internal controls was reflected in your reporting, however, all the facts are not.
The Republican administration is taking the hit for the town's current financial debacle. In fact, it was the Republican administration that requested the audit by the CPA firm of Cuddy and Ward. Towns are not required to have audits.
While the paper reported facts like “unauthorized payments ..., accounting records in private residences, missing records, failure to keep inventory, lack of timely bank reconciliations,” etc., other items equally as important were absent from the article.
For those of you who attended the town meeting where Mr. Ward presented the findings, you heard Mr. Ward state that many of the comments remained unchanged from the previous year. For those who don't understand the comments, it means that some of the problems have been ongoing, from the previous administration.
And while The Citizen points to Mr. Badman and the bookkeeper, much of the inadequate accounting systems, scarce documentation, lack of policies and procedures and the failure to maintain records in logical and proper order have been ongoing.
These existing problems snowballed in 2006. The lack of consistency and the disorganization of town records had been the reason for the Republicans to require the audit in the first place.
As a result of these reports, taxpayers may conclude that these problems and deficiencies are 2006 troubles. Inadequate accounting systems prevent timely and accurate financial data.
The persistent turnover of bookkeepers and the lack of proper internal controls are apparent. The record-keeping including water billing problems using compromised software, scarce documentation, lack of policies and procedures and the failure to maintain records in logical and proper order are not new. The lack of consistency and the disorganization of town records are not new.
I would like to see complete reporting by the newspaper because critical points were omitted in the article and cartoon.
Headlines sell papers, but taxpayers have the right to know all the facts. That will insure a fair election in November.
Eleanor G. Beck
Auburn
While the paper reported facts like “unauthorized payments ..., accounting records in private residences, missing records, failure to keep inventory, lack of timely bank reconciliations,” etc., other items equally as important were absent from the article.
For those of you who attended the town meeting where Mr. Ward presented the findings, you heard Mr. Ward state that many of the comments remained unchanged from the previous year. For those who don't understand the comments, it means that some of the problems have been ongoing, from the previous administration.
And while The Citizen points to Mr. Badman and the bookkeeper, much of the inadequate accounting systems, scarce documentation, lack of policies and procedures and the failure to maintain records in logical and proper order have been ongoing.
These existing problems snowballed in 2006. The lack of consistency and the disorganization of town records had been the reason for the Republicans to require the audit in the first place.
As a result of these reports, taxpayers may conclude that these problems and deficiencies are 2006 troubles. Inadequate accounting systems prevent timely and accurate financial data.
The persistent turnover of bookkeepers and the lack of proper internal controls are apparent. The record-keeping including water billing problems using compromised software, scarce documentation, lack of policies and procedures and the failure to maintain records in logical and proper order are not new. The lack of consistency and the disorganization of town records are not new.
I would like to see complete reporting by the newspaper because critical points were omitted in the article and cartoon.
Headlines sell papers, but taxpayers have the right to know all the facts. That will insure a fair election in November.
Eleanor G. Beck
Auburn
Citizen
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