Here is some interesting reading which highlights some things that need attention in Templeton.

posted online in May of 2012;

Selectman Stephen Castinetti found it troubling that previous auditing firm Melanson Heath gave the town a clean bill of health every year and was curious why the company didn’t pick up the violations cited in the Powers & Sullivan audit.

Powers responded that he couldn’t say for sure why the issues weren’t caught, but he stressed that if people did their jobs they had the opportunity to put a halt to the practices.

Selectman Debra Panetta asked Powers if he has seen any violations in other communities that rise to the level of what has been reported in the Saugus government.

In fact, Powers said he has reviewed worse situations elsewhere involving scenarios such as employees stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“What we found (in Saugus) were misleading financial statements as opposed to personal gain,” Powers said.

To support that viewpoint, Horlick pointed out how Regan and other employees approached then Temporary Town Manager John Vasapolli earlier this year to report the violations of municipal finance laws.

“Employees said they felt intimidated and succumbed to what they perceived as pressure to process transactions they knew weren’t correct,” Powers said.

From speaking to town employees, Castinetti said it was obvious they felt intimidated to come forward with their concerns.

Palleschi protested that the fiscal uncertainty puts the Finance Committee “under the gun” because it is supposed to provide its recommendations to Town Meeting in May, yet at this point the Board of Selectmen has yet to send along its proposed budget. (sounds familiar)

To that point, Palleschi lamented how the Finance Committee never received the financial information it requested from the previous administration during its deliberations.

Seems a very similar pattern here in Templeton, same audit firm, same problems.

posted by Jeff Bennett