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."
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."
posted by ERIC REICHERT at 9:14 AM
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