"I don't know why the Board of Education wants to earn the wrath of the State Board of Education, but I guess they do," said mayor Sebastian Giuliano about the Middletown BOE's refusal to allow auditors from Blum Shapiro examine BOE financial records.
Board of Education chairman Ted Raczka told the Eye Tuesday that the board would not allow the mayor to dictate the schedule of an audit which traditionally happens at the end of the school year.
According to the mayor, this is not the same kind of audit. This audit was ordered by the mayor's office to investigate reports of financial irregularities at the Board of Education.
"The auditors were not physically turned away by the Board of Education," the mayor said Wednesday. "But in an exchange of emails they were told by the board that they weren't ready."
The mayor explained that the auditors were not asking for "a pile of documents to be placed on a table somewhere," but that auditors knew exactly what information they were looking for, and that it should all be readily available electronically.
"It's not a matter of not being ready," Giuliano said.
Giuliano said that the auditors will appeal to the State Board of Education, and that the State Board of Education would likely either demand that the Middletown board allow the audit to go forward, or place the Middletown BOE in receivership. In receivership, the State Board of Education would take control of finances.
Mayor Comments on BOE Surplus
While he hadn't had the opportunity to review the Board of Education budget passed Tuesday evening, the mayor seemed chagrined at the declaration by the board that they had a "surplus" of nearly a million and a half dollars, which would be used in advance against expenditures in next year's budget. The Common Council voted a flat budget for the Board of Education for next year.
"Those surplus dollars should be turned back to the general fund," the mayor said. "What they're doing is illegal. Their budget is fully-funded, so there's no reason that this year's surplus dollars should be set aside for next year's expenses."
Asked whether he thought the BOE would return surplus dollars to the general fund, the mayor indicated that it would be "politically brilliant" for them to do so.
"But I would expect pigs to fly before that happened," Giuliano said.
7 comments:
Could we please get rid of Ted?!
Just ted! If it walks like a duck...remember what the mayor did a few weeks ago? Me thinks he is on to something as doth protest to much! The whole Board and central office need to go. Common Council where are you now???
First the cops, now auditors. How much money are we paying for the mayor's personal vendetta?
Hello parents.....this is an outrage! Serious allegations have been made...allegations that are being looked into..this is tax payer's money....why is there a suprplus when teachers do not have paper? When there are not enough books and students alternate days to take books home? When programs are eleminated? When students are not receiving services? Are parents outragegs yet? What will it take?
Horray to those who came forward and reported the allegations to the Council.....you are very brave and I thank YOU.
Board of Ed members.....is it really about the children?
I thoughtthe pointof an audit was suprise by saying they are not ready looks like the boe is hiding guilt and funds
When will the people of Middletown wake up and realize that you have to vote these clowns out? Once that is done, then we can clean house at Central Office and bring in a superintendent who actual cares about the kids and does something other than hiding in his office. $160,000 doesn't get you that much anymore!
I have to write a comment tonight regarding the Middletown Public School system...I have been researching their website - middletownschools.org and found an interesting memo that was written by Michael Frechette, dated April 19, 2010 - the subject is: Shared Services Summary (The BOE and City Hall); it was located under the Superintendent's page, click Superintendent's plans and initiatives, click Mdtn Schools Budget; click Fiscal Yr 2010-2011 Proposed Budget, scroll down to page 15 and make note of each category especially the one noted MAYORS OFFICE...remember this came from Michael Frechettes office...it states, The Mayor authorizes hiring, firing and suspensions for BOE assigned (466 and MMPA) employees(pg. 18). I hope every director at City Hall reads this memo very carefully! I also hope the attorney that the BOE has hired reads this as well. I wonder how much the BOE has spent on legal fees so far...maybe someone should FOI that information?
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