Willimantic audit questions townb’s fiscal procedures

WILLIMANTIC – A Bangor firm has suggested in its yearly audit that town officials have been a bit lax in fiscal matters.

The audit report targets some of the issues that a group of concerned residents have raised repeatedly over the past few years.

Brantner, Thibodeau Associates pointed out in its letter published in the town report for the 9 a.m. Aug. 20 annual town meeting that town receipts were not deposited in a timely manner and that it was difficult at times to trace specific receipts to bank deposits.

The auditors also noted that several accounts were overspent by selectmen; that the town has no accounting procedures manual and they recommended a segregation of duties as far as the treasurer’s job is concerned. On the plus side, the auditors noted that the town’s records were in good condition and that they received excellent cooperation from the office staff.

In discussing the audit report on Wednesday, First Selectman Debbie Pettigrew said the statement about the overdrawn accounts should never have been raised by the auditors since residents vote every year to transfer unexpended balances to those accounts that have an overdraft. Among the accounts that reflected overdrafts this year were summer roads, transfer station and winter roads. The latter account did not have an actual overdraft because town officials forgot to include the price of sand in the warrant article, she explained.

This year’s annual town meeting will address the impact of LD 1, higher gasoline and oil prices and attorney fees, among other business.

“It’s always a bare bones budget in this town,” Pettigrew said. The mill rate now is $6.35 per $1,000 valuation.

Although the article is not included in the town report, Pettigrew said residents will be asked to use the tree growth penalty fund to help reduce taxes in the wake of LD 1, which provided certain property owners some tax relief but shifted more of the Homestead Exemption reimbursement onto towns.