One of the items up for consideration Monday is a "forensic audit" that would probe fiscal transactions dating back to 2006 and spanning years when the city had no chief financial officer.
Eleven firms responded to the city's request for quotations for special audit services. ParenteBeard was selected and the proposal is to perform the work at a cost of $60,000, half of which will come from an account covered by the 2014 budget and half from 2015's budget. The 2015 budget will be subject to City Council approval once it is submitted by the administration.
But the first hurdle will be to get the resolution on the agenda for the Dec. 8 regular meeting, The governing body has stymied a number of Mayor Adrian O. Mapp's initiatives. Some members and Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Green have openly supported former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs over Mapp, who took office Jan. 1, 2014 for a four-year term after previously losing a mayoral bid to Robinson-Briggs in 2009. The former mayor herself has appeared frequently at council meetings to criticize Mapp even as his administration has struggled to untangle the fiscal mare's nest he inherited.
In December 2008, Plaintalker found finance the main issue in city government. Subsequent years brought a high degree of turnover in the Robinson-Briggs administration. After Chief Financial Officer Peter Sepelya retired at the end of 2007, the city operated without anyone in the statutory role See "Fiscal Woes Mount in City" and "State Questions CFO Process" for more background. The problems continued into 2010 as reported in "Audit Report Spurs Concern."
Explosive testimony by Finance Director Bibi Taylor in 2011 highlighted an investigation of Robinson-Briggs' financial demands on staff, which led to a reprimand for the mayor.
The city hired Ron Zilinski as CFO and treasurer to avoid daily fines state officials threatened to impose on the mayor and council, but Zilinski left abruptly in January 2012. In February 2012, the full-time business administrator and CFO of neighboring South Plainfield agreed to spare Plainfield five to seven hours a week of his time to fill the gap, as reported here.
The part-time arrangement continued through the final two years of the Robinson-Briggs administration. In January 2014, Al Steinberg became the full-time CFO for a four-year term.
The city solicited quotations for a forensic audit in late summer and received eleven responses. The firm selected was ParenteBeard, which has since merged with Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP.
The meeting Monday is 7:30 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave. and the regular meeting will be held at 8 p.m. on Dec. 8 in the same location.
--Bernice
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With the redemption of Sharon do you really think that a audit would be done? It's a waste of time and money. Just like that 145,000 dollars plum cost the taxpayers .
ReplyDeleteOf course an audit would be done. And what redemption of Sharon? If you are paying attention, her administration has left this city in a financial mess.
ReplyDeleteI doubt it will pass. The council members, Rivers, Greaves, Reid, and Taylor all know that not only Sharon mismanaged the city funds, but I wonder if the council members benefited. The forensic audit will bring out some of the truth. We all know that the Council Members do not want the truth exposed because it exposes them - and of course Ass. Jerry.
This council will never support fiscal responsibility. They would vote for it if the investigation was on Mapp.
ReplyDeleteMapp may not have a Sherlock Holmes but he got a Watson !
ReplyDeleteA forensic audit is appropriate any time finances are in question. It makes for corrections and dispels rumors. If they vote it down, they are continuing the suspicion. Get it done so we can move on. The council owes it to the community.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn’t that long ago that Steven Fulop was sworn in as Mayor of Jersey City. Hitting the ground running, he unveiled a long list of concepts he wanted to accomplish within his first 100 days in office. His most notable actions were creating the city’s paid sick leave mandate, the disbandment of the Parking Authority, and the merger of the Fire and Police departments.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the accomplishment of Mayor Mapp in his first 100 days? A $60,000 “forensic audit” to get a grip on where the heck all our money is.
Wake up, Plainfield!
I think the administration needs to focus on the future of the city. Lower taxes. Less crime. Good ethics and good government in City Hall. Spending $60,000 on an audit of all the finances to 2006 is downright irresponsible.
It’s not like we’re going to get any money back, right? No refund to us weary taxpayers from half-asleep city employees hired because they happen to be someone’s brother-in-law.
We’re lucky to have Jerry Green in Plainfield. He’s been a staunch advocate for the people, not the politics. He finds ways to bring state money into the city, and works with the county freeholders and others to make sure Plainfield gets its fair share.
Imagine if we had to depend solely on the boobs who run City Hall.
Read it yourself: http://jerrygreenspage.blogspot.com/
This is what I want to see from my municipal leaders, not silly audits.
Yvonne, you are definitely drinking the Kool-Aid. Jerry Green, "a staunch advocate for the people, not the politics". My God sister, he is the politics in the city. "Plainfield gets its fair share". Plainfield is like an orphaned child with his leadership. "Good ethics". He ain't got any.
Deletehttp://plainfield.com/first-100-days-in-office.aspx
Yvonne you are right.
ReplyDeleteThe audit is a total waste of money,and a witch hunt at the cost of taxpayers.
ReplyDelete