The printed disclosures last weekend over the findings of an audit of the city's finances should raise more than concern from within and outside City Hall. The biggest issue - the failure of Auburn to file for some $920,000 in reimbursements for federal and state projects, with $250,000 of that not being recoverable.

An audit by Ciaschi, Dietershagen, Little, Mickelson & Co., an Ithaca accounting firm, was not good news for Auburn or its taxpayers. The firm is hired to do an independent audit of federal funds received every year. This is not an optional audit; Washington requires it and the city request's proposals to do the work and pays for it.

In question are a handful of projects, going back to 1999 that have not had the proper paperwork applied for, filed for or followed up on for nearly $1 million. The good news is that the city might be able to recover $670,000 if it gets its act together.

The bad news is that $250,000 can not be recovered for part of the 1999 South Street reconstruction project. Some of the project, such as the vintage light poles, may not qualify for full re-imbursement.

If you wonder what that cost translates to for the average taxpayer, it's about 32 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation. That means on a $75,000 house, a homeowner paid about an extra $24 for the project.

Two big questions come from this report. The first, how the person who had the responsibility to file for these reimbursements will be held responsible. Most fingers seem to point to Auburn's Director of Capital Projects and Grants Michael Long. For years he has been praised for the number of grants he has brought into the city, but those only count if you get the money into the city's coffers. His contention seems to be that he has been overworked #- that may have been the case when he was “acting city manager” it is not clear how that plays prior and after that period.

Another issue that has not been discussed fully is why it took more than five years to find that the city did not file for funds for projects that were started in 1999? The city has used the same accounting firm for five years. One would have thought that this might have been picked up long before this. When one city official was asked about this, his response was that he was still trying to get his head around the issue of $920,000. Yet, the failures to raise and address this issue sooner than later, requires answers from City Hall and its staff.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com