Something Templeton should consider...

Holyoke Council votes to ask Massachusetts Auditor Suzanne Bump to examine city finances

Updated Mar 22; Posted Mar 22

By Mike Plaisance

mplaisance@repub.com

HOLYOKE -- The City Council has voted to ask Massachusetts Auditor Suzanne M. Bump to do an audit of municipal finances.

The request for such an examination comes after jolts that have included:

• the Feb. 15 resignation of the city auditor and his criticism that City Hall was failing to follow numerous procedures
• police confirming Feb. 12 they are investigating a cyber attack that scammed $9,997 from the city treasurer's office in June
• the city having to hire a financial consultant that completed a $19.1 million reconciliation in the previous fiscal year's ledger that showed all municipal cash is accounted for
• the City Council and Mayor Alex B. Morse failing until Monday to reach agreement on financial transfers that allowed for the balancing of the budget, nine months into the fiscal year, and setting the new tax rate late. That will hit taxpayers with unusually large property tax bills late this month because they will combine the third- and fourth-quarter bills.

The Council at City Hall Tuesday approved by voice vote an order that the city seek the "use of the State Auditor (Suzanne Bump's Office) to conduct and do an audit of all the city finances for the city of Holyoke." The order had been submitted at the Feb. 20 Council meeting and tabled.

Former city councilor Patricia C. Devine had urged councilors in an email to request that Bump audit city finances, and Ward 2 Councilor Nelson R. Roman filed the order.

"I am proud to have filed this order and believe this step is important because it will go a step further than the recent reconciliation (as) it will look into all city departments and budgets and provide the city with a written document or plan that will allow us to improve accountability and transparency, while improving performance and hopefully lead to Holyoke working more efficiently," Roman said in a text message.

"I am grateful that the Council approved this and that the mayor supports this matter," he said.
Morse told The Republican last month he agreed with the move to contact Bump's office.


"I fully support this request and have considered making said request myself," Morse said in an email. "Such an audit would cost the city nothing, and I believe it is important we continue to identify any deficiencies in our financial departments. I anticipate that the results of such an audit will again highlight our antiquated financial structure as a continued barrier to maximum efficiency."

Joshua Pueschel resigned as auditor last month in a letter that criticized City Hall for failing to follow "numerous procedures" and suggested the answer financially is to put the city in receivership. Pueschel backed away from the receivership point in a later email to councilors and said such a step was unnecessary.

Morse has said Pueschel's assertion about receivership was "disappointing" and "completely off base" in light of financial bond rating agencies raising or affirming the city's credit rating for the past six years.