Tighten Up Fiscal Controls

Image: www.thepinkflamingosite.com
Way back in April, Councilman William Reid and resident Alex Toliver launched plans for an expanded parade to welcome returning veterans. Reid announced that he and Toliver had voluntarily purchased lawn sgns, bumper stickers and "badges" to publicize the event.

But at the July 8 agenda-fixing session, Reid mentioned the purchases again in the context of being under the bid threshhold, apparently meaning the pair will seek reimbursement from the city for the paraphernalia. So what's wrong with that? In Plaintalker's opinion, it is a prime example of the laissez-faire attitude toward spending that has come to the fore in the absence of normal fiscal controls.

The last city audit report had 40 recommendations, the first of which was that all city purchases should be made through the purchasing agent. The "corrective action" for the problem included receipt of a purchase order prior to delivery of goods. The report said the recommendations had been completed, "however it is acknowledged that consistent monitoring will ensure ongoing compliance." In other words, if somebody didn't remind folks of the rules, people would go out and spend money as they wished and then expect to be reimbursed.

As previously reported, the new all-Plainfield Independence Day Committee - established after other municipalities dropped out of sponsorship of the event - never received any members. An ad hoc group makes all the decisions on the event, which this year included a parade, car show, concert and fireworks. Councilwoman Rebecca Williams is now leading the charge to get details on the scope of spending for the event, including whether outside agencies or individuals collected unauthorized fees.

The issues made this writer think of a hypothetical example in which a citizen or group of citizens decides to "brand" the city and generate some publicity through the use of, say, pink flamingos. This could be based just on whimsy and fun or maybe on the city's gay-friendly atmosphere that, during the 1980s, attracted a large number of Manhattanites who fell in love with Plainfield's housing stock and played a large role in restoring many of its mansions. In some cities, a running joke is to fill somebody's yard with pink flamingos and to declare, "You've been flocked!" Sometimes it is celebratory, sometimes it is a fundraiser for some local charity.

At any rate, a yardful of pink flamingos creates a buzz and produces publicity and laughs.

So what if this became a successful Queen City phenomenon and after the fact these hypothetical citizens decided to bill the city for the purchase of 100 pink flamingos?

The point here is not to demean any other cause, such as welcoming veterans, but to say there is a right way and a wrong way to try to spend public money.

Unfortunately, when Audit & Control is lacking key staff, lapses may occur.

At the July 9 council meeting, there was a discussion of how to strengthen the fiscal team by having both a full-time chief financial officer and a full-time treasurer in that office. Currently, there is neither, nor is there a permanent purchasing agent. So the thought is there, it is just the execution that is lacking. The sooner the reality matches the intent, the better, when it comes to fiscal controls. As a taxpayer, do you agree?

--Bernice