Donora council votes to accept bids for forensic audit
Donora council approved a motion to accept bids for a forensic audit with a scope of seven years.
The audit will include all borough information and accounts for 2017-23, including the police fund. The estimated cost is $50,000.
All of the five council members present at Thursday’s meeting approved the motion. Council members Joseph Greco and Fred Berestecky were absent.
Councilwoman Cynthia Brice said Friday that she and Councilman Thomas Thompson had expressed interest in conducting an audit over questions such as some past pay raises and why there are no longer sewer fund reports given. She also said more than $100,000 was spent to pay an attorney in the case involving the termination of her husband, Jim Brice, as police superintendent when the matter could have been turned over to the insurance company at no charge.
“Their spending is so erratic,” Brice said. “We just want an idea of what we’re working with. It’s such a mess, and I don’t think anybody on council can wrap their head around these amounts of money. We need to lay it out and say this is really where we are financially. I have some questions about some of the financial decisions that were made.”
Also, council approved technical assistance for borough Administrator Michael Thornton by the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
“As a new administrator, I’m entitled to assistance by the DCED free of charge,” Thornton said. “I’ll have somebody who’s a former administrator help me, especially with reports.”
Thornton said he has been receiving some help from Warren Cecconi, who has served as temporary borough administrator in the past.
“They’re not going to continue to pay him,” Thornton said. “Most of the work as an administrator comes with the budget this fall, and from January through April most of the reports are due for the year. He’s not going to be here for either period.”
Another motion approved by council was assessing a $75 deposit fee with any application for pavilion rentals. The fee is refundable if tables are returned and the premises are left clean.
“They’re having trouble with people not returning tables and leaving trash outside of bags,” Thornton said. “We have to pay overtime for people to clean that up and carry the tables back.”
Council also approved new cyber insurance coverage for $500,000 with a premium charge of $5,420, and an increase in crime insurance coverage from $25,000 to $50,000, with an additional annual premium charge of $2,892.