Posted Dec 31, 2008 at 6:29 PM
"...the Auditor of Public Accounts may undertake the audit or may employ the services of certified public accountants and charge the full cost of such services to the locality" when not done timely. It wasn't! Let's get someone in to do this right and for heaven's sake, give the council information in a more timely manner!!!! When will the APA visit our progressive small town and make things right financially???
In all honesty, if something isn't done by the current Town Council now that they know this is the law, I am hoping that the APA will get involved. I know that Ms. Carter has asked for the Accountant to appear but apparently, the Town Manager has been unable to manage that.
Posted Dec 31, 2008 at 7:16 PM
There may be issues to address in Christiansburg, but it seems like sometimes you guys are grasping at straws and trying to shine the light of sunshine on non-existent problems. Does it really matter if the Town Manager passes the audit report out to Council? If the accountant actually presented the report, do you think the council would be able to come up with questions during that five minute portion of the meeting? I think not. Instead, I would hope they would actually take time to study the document and then call the accountant back to a future meeting if they had questions to pose. I have seen several of these audit reports over the years and none of the audits have found any evidence of missing or misappropriated funds. You may be able to hammer on a perceived violation of the letter of the statute, but good luck proving the spirit of the law was violated. without council members saying they have unanswered questions, this seems like a non-issue.
Maybe you think it doesn't matter that the Town Council follow the State Laws. I happen to think that is a VERY important part of their jobs. The State Codes are there for a purpose. If you don't like those State Codes then fight tooth and nail to change them, but do NOT disregard the law simply because you don't feel it is important.
Posted Dec 31, 2008 at 9:27 PM
The only people who have been privy to the audit reports, until this time, have been employees or councilmembers. Given this is the case, town council and employees should have the "guts" to provide their name when posting (and give some validity to the comments as therefore being more factual than posts, blogs or other comments).
I like facts ... that is exactly why I am diligently working on scanning the audit to go on line right now:) People can stay anonymous all they want. I just like for them to give me enough facts that I know where to look to find the information. Looks like there is now an auditor report scheduled for the next Town Council meeting. We'll see how that goes.
Posted Jan 1, 2009 at 12:47 AM
Mike is mistaken. As the Code requires, the reports are available to any voter upon request. You just have to be willing to follow the process. Just because something is hand delivered to your door or posted on My Space doesn't mean it isn't available. You just have to be energetic and interested enough to go look for it.
Indeed, as my next post will show, they are available IF YOU KNOW TO ASK. And, hopefully, they are provided in their entirety. It takes time and it takes money to get copies. Or, you can save your dime and use mine by using the link in my next blog which will take you to the citizen's information webpage, where you will find the 2008 budget. Earlier budgets (the last 5 years worth will follow later). However, let's not forget the issue of this blog ... that is following State Codes as to time and source of the information. Better late than never I guess. But, the law is the law.
Posted Jan 1, 2009 at 12:54 AM
I never said following the law wasn't important. Just that law functions best when we focus more on the spirit of the law and not so much the letter. Do you really want every law enforced exactly to the letter without discretion? Furthermore, I think a strong argument could be made that an accountant did present the audit to the council. The law says nothing to prohibit the accountant from making this presentation through an intermediary. Does anyone know if this issue of law has been addressed by a court. Just because someone doesn't like how something is done, doesn't make it illegal. After all, at this point all we have is a difference of opinion, though some have deemed their own position to be more courageous than others because they use a psuedonym instead of posting as anonymous.
I suppose I could write the Attorney General's Office, the Auditor of Public Accounts, and a few other agencies to find out. But, since it is now an item on the agenda for Jan. 6th meetings and I was able to obtain a copy to post online, I do feel the spirit of the law has been met, limping badly at the finish line, but there. I personally feel that questions concerning accounting are best answered by the person who did the accounting. I would be surprised to find any civil engineering program in the country that could say it requires the same level of training and competence that a Certified Public Accountant is required to have. After all, would you go to a proctologist for a toothache? I'd rather not, thank you very much.
Posted Jan 1, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Knowing the process can be very difficult especially when you are dealing with government. How the town moves isn't representative of using discretion and instead gives the appearance of ineptitude, resistence and defiance of the spirit, intent and citizens (which include more than "voters"). I think I know more about state code from reading this blog and the related resource links than the average bear now but still don't understand all the questions to ask, reasons for why something is done a certain way or not done. Which is why I will keep reading it and trying to figure out why council campaigns to increase voter participation and awareness yet seems to act in ways that make this very hard for the public to do. Bottom line. If the audit is required by a certain date, surely council could receive that report within 90 days and then have another 90 days to formulate questions, post it to their websites (town and personal ones) and hold a meeting where it is discussed. I hear meeting materials are regularly handed to the council at the very meeting they are holding instead of providing it earlier. That's like a pop quiz every other Tuesday instead of preparing over time and I'd think council would push back on this process. No wonder most people say that by the time you hear about something it is a "done deal" in our town. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it propably is a duck.
There are some members who have been asking for more for a long time. But, when only one or two are doing it, it is a bit hard to get things done. What is most likely to make a difference is to show up at meetings, ask questions, email council members. Let all know that the few who are asking the questions are not alone in wanting answers. The Town Manger works for the Town Council. The Town Council works for us. In other to get the answers you want, get the questions to your Town Council member. Look at Mr. Barber's efforts to push for a resolution on the moped helmet law. He knows it needs to be done. He knows it is important. But when he is the only one doing the pushing, it is an uphill slope. Gotta wonder why the council doesn't want to push the Town Manger for results. Or, where is the Mayor in setting timelines for results and enforcing them.
Posted Jan 1, 2009 at 12:25 PM
...with Carol on this one. The laws and regulations are there for a reason. If the Town was good about providing information as required, in a timely fashion and it was good about responding to citizens in a pleasant way and it didn't "appear" to be misleading or secretive, and etc, etc... I don't think people would be trying to get them to follow the exact letter of the law, but such is not the case and therefore, the LAWS need to be pointed out and enforced.