Mayor Adams Pacific MO Unhappy About State Audit

the red highlight is original responce to Mayor Adams, & below is the actual Missourian Article
if citizen of Pacific has concerns to share with the state auditor, completely confidential contact Carl Zilch 314-340-7575 or carl.zilch@auditor.mo.gov

Resolution 2011-40 audit another audit happens yearly in Pacific - or twice - depending on how much grant
We have three audits recently and we pay around $10,000 –
For the state audit of $50,000. the state audit is "estimated" $35 to $50k based on actual cost.

When we look around our community and think of a wish list of what we would like to do, we need side walks, curbs, pavement, new streets. There are expenses for our park system, water run off, we need more police protection. yes, this community has many needs. but it seems far more important for our current administration to spend money on a city attorney at $295/hr. ($381k in one year), a city hall expansion $3-4 million, purchase of Brush Creek $2.3 million, city museum property change at a $42k loss not counting needed improvements, and many other embelishments that might be nice but not improving our infrastructure. it is true the older part of town & our park system needs are extensive. it seems that little thought goes into "maintiance" of what we have. Last yr. city gave over $50k employee pay increases and more this yr., when social security/senior citizens have not gotten a cost of living increase for three years.

I can think of a lot that can be done with $80 or $90.000.

It’s redundant to have 3 or 4 audits and they‘ll all tell you the same thing.

All audits come out same. They suggest that we should change this and change that. No one was ever caught with a hand in cookie jar. And even now this petition does not accused any of us with hand in cookie jar. all audits are not the same, a state audit is far more detailed.

This is all about policy and disagreement about policy. We should not be spending $50,000 just to say you disagree with policy. WISH "POLICY" WOULD BE DEFINED, SO IT COULD BE ADDRESSED.

If this audit suggest things that are easy we will do it. If it suggest things are not easy. The administration will not be making changes.




I‘m not ever going to change my policies. new state auditor/Thomas A. Schweich just might have other ideas about that "not ever" going to change policies. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_c2e660a8-3a22-11e0-8a1b-00127992bc8b.html#.Te_FhBNpoSk;emailLastLast 18 months, we had three audits, this will be our fourth one.

Selby tried to keep track of hours I was spending with auditors. I just gave up. We have three auditors. Sit right there. If they are not with me they’re with Kim. our city administrator salary is $77,508 and city clerk salary of $42,670, it is part of their jobs.
It’s time consuming. Lot of stuff they ask has nothing to do with numbers. Takes a lot of time. On top of that this budget. It’s been a lot of work. It’s been hard trying to squeeze out everything we have to do with three guys here. We paid for him to stay in our hotels and I encouraged him to eat in town. the cost of Carl Zilch/state auditor & his assistants is included in cost of audit. Not sure why state auditor would stay in hotel as he lives St.Charles County with a wife and small child? (and he is a frugal fella that brings his lunch) (But you would have to ask the auditor about these things)

487 resident registered voters signed the petition. We do not understand the anger from our elected city officials. This state audit is citizen rights/Missouri Law. Wish our elected would learn from the audit and imbrace all suggested improvements for the city's benefit. Using words "never" change "policy" is not productive.

BJ Lawrence, Chief Petitioner for State Audit


Posted: Thursday, June 16, 2011 11:25 am Updated: 3:21 pm, Thu Jun 16, 2011.
Mayor Unhappy About State Audit Under Way By Pauline Masson Pacific Editor The Missourian 0 comments it is interesting that this article did not appear on the Missourian website, until it was brought to their attention.
Mayor Herb Adams said the city is up to its eyeballs in auditors and the cost of the work could fund any number of public works improvement projects.
Adams said the lack of new sidewalks, curbs, pavement streets and stormwater improvements, is due to the cost of the state audit currently under way.
The mayor's comments were made at the June 7 board meeting, as aldermen approved a resolution for the city to enter into a contract with Ross, Spinner & Kummer, P.C., for a compliance audit for the year that ends June 30, 2011. Cost of the audit is $10,000.
"We have had three audits recently and we pay around $10,000 for each one, but the state audit is $50,000," Adams said. "I can think of a lot that can be done (for that.)"
Three state auditors have been working in city hall for weeks, occupying the time of City Administrator Harold Selby and City Clerk Kim Barfield, asking to see records of city activities.
A total of 487 registered voters signed the petition for the state audit and the work could cost the city between $35,000 and $50,000.
Adams said the audit is not necessary and is costing taxpayers money that could be spent on other things.
"It's true that the older part of town and our park system needs are extensive," said BJ Lawrence, chief petitioner for the state audit. "But it seems that little thought goes into maintenance of what we have. Last year the city gave over $50,000 in employee pay increases and more this year, when senior citizens have not gotten a Social Security cost-of-living increase for three years."
The state audit won't reveal anything more than what the city-ordered audits find, according to the mayor.
"It's redundant to have three or four audits and they will all tell you the same thing," Adams said. "No one was ever caught with a hand in the cookie jar. And even now this petition does not accuse any of us with a hand in the cookie jar. This is all about policy and disagreement about policy. We should not be spending $50,000 just to say you disagree with policy."
Lawrence pointed out that new State Auditor Tom Schweich has unveiled a plan to pursue an enforcement role for state auditors as his office looks for not only official malfeasance, but inefficiencies in governmental agencies.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Schweich said after audits are done he will try to hold officials' feet to the fire by asking them to swear under oath to implement his recommendations by a certain date. At year's end, he'll issue a report listing who did and who didn't.
Selby said he has made an attempt to keep track of the hours he spent with the auditors, but gave up. He said auditors are asking few questions about spending and many questions about what the city does.
"This disagreement was about policy," Adams reiterated. "In the end, the auditors will say change this or change that. If the changes are easy we will change them, if they suggest things that are hard to change we will not change them.
"I will never change my policies," Adams said.
Lawrence said she and other petitioners don't understand the anger from elected city officials.
"This state audit is a citizens right under Missouri law. We would hope our elected officials would learn from the audit and embrace all suggested improvements for the city's benefit," Lawrence said. "Using words ‘never change policy' is not productive."

Mayor Says State Audit Won’t Impact Citizens
Audit Will Prove City Has Done No Wrong
Posted: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 6:32 pm Updated: 11:30 am, Wed Apr 13, 2011.
Mayor Says State Audit Won’t Impact Citizens By Pauline Masson, Pacific Editor The Missourian 0 comments
A state audit of the city of Pacific being done at the request of a citizen’s petition won’t have any impact on residents, according to the mayor.
Auditors started work on a review of city business and ordinance compliance last week.
Debbie Woods with the Missouri State Auditors St. Louis office addressed the mayor and aldermen at the April 5 board meeting.
“Carl Zilch will be the one doing work here. He started work today,” Woods told officials.
“There are a few things I need to go through. The reason for the audit is that we received a petition with 434 valid signatures,” Woods explained. “Only 416 signatures were required.”
The cost of the audit will be between $35,000 and $50,000. Auditors were required to meet with the board in a public meeting.
“We will also meet with the petitioners to obtain their concerns,” Woods said. “And we’ll put things in papers to let citizens know that they can also contact us.”
Woods said all contact with state auditors will be confidential. Nothing will be known about questions they ask unless something is found and then what is found will become known in the final report.
The audit will take 10 to 20 weeks to complete. After field work is done, the auditor’s office will issue a report of findings. At that time, there will be a closing meeting with officials that will contain the report and recommendations.
“After all that there will be a public meeting,” Woods said. “The whole process can take six to 12 months. We will work mostly on the year ending June 30, 2011. But we will do some work in the prior year because a lot of the concerns had to do with that time period.
“This is a performance audit where we will review management practices. You have a CPA audit,” she added.
Mayor Herb Adams asked Woods whether the audit would be a review of the policies of the board of aldermen and administration.
“For the most part what we’re looking for is are you complying with your ordinances,” Wood said. “But we will look at your policies if your action is not in best interest of citizens.
“For example on the TIF what we’re looking at is did you follow procedures,” she said.
One member of the audience asked whether the $50,000 possible cost of the audit would affect property taxes, but Adams assured her that the city could pay for the audit without increasing taxes.
Adams said $50,000 is a lot of money, but citizens will see very little effect from the audit.
“We’ll be taking money from different departments,” he said. “They’re sharing the cost of this audit.”
Adams said some projects that had been planned might be affected, but citizens won’t see the change.
The city won’t be billed, Wood said, until the audit is complete, which would place the cost in next year’s budget.
Adams reiterated that the city is financially sound and even though the economy is still in a recession his administration is determined not to participate in the downturn.
“We’re making more and better improvements than in the past,” he said. “This audit will not affect our employees or equipment they need to do their job. Our intentions are that our citizens won’t see any impact.”
Adams said he’s anxious for the audit to be completed because it would clear up the impression that the city had done something wrong.
“Someone is right and someone is wrong,” he said. “I think the mayor and board of aldermen are on the side of right.”
Adams said he believes the audit had been requested because some people have a problem with policy. The municipal election, he said, is the way to change policy.
“I don’t think it’s reasonable that we spend $50,000 to say we disagree with policy,” he added.
“Sometimes people try to take advantage,” he continued. “Asking for a state audit gives the impression that the city fathers have broken the law. The audit will prove that wrong. They have complied with law. There is no fraud. This is just a case of people disagreeing with policy.”
Wood said citizens can contact the State Auditor’s Office at 800-347-8597 or moaudit@auditor.mo.gov. or Carl Zilch 314-340-7575 carl.zilch@auditor.mo.gov

State Audit of City of Pacific began Apr.5, 2011

STATE AUDIT for CITY of PACIFIC the State Audit officially began April 5th, 2011 If you have a concern about Pacific government questionable spending you can arrange to meet privately with the auditor, Carl Zilch 314-340-7575. carl.zilch@auditor.mo.gov It is estimated the audit will take 6 - 12 mos for completion. At that time the audit will be presented to the city and its citizens with the recommended corrective actions, if any. We really have already paid the expense of this audit(est: $35-$50,000): Pacific pays taxpayer dollars to be a member of the MML (Mo. Municipal League) ($225/yr plus 95 cents per person) MML got Pacific a settlement with AT&T, which $112,437 has been deposited into Pacific’s rainy day fund. AT&T is now charging its customers for that litigation with the MML, on your monthly bills. So, even with the possible cost/estimate of a State Audit, YOU have already paid for it thru your taxpayer dollars and now your AT&T bill. Respectfully, Chief Petitioner, BJ Lawrence, 1207 W. Congress, Pacific, MO 63069 636-271-7817 beejayl@peoplepc.com Contact if you wish to be kept advised.