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Dighton Water District 192 Williams St. No. Dighton, Ma 02764 Sue Medeiros Paul Joly Paul Pacheco COMMISSIONERS Carol A. Stevens TREASURER June
16, 2010 A
meeting of the Dighton Water District Commissioners was held at the District
office at 11:50 A.M. Chairman of the
Board, Sue Medeiros called the meeting to order. Sue
Medeiros said, “We need to make a correction on the ad for accounting
services and payroll. The current ad
you e-mailed said on it CPA like to revise that, change that motion, revise
that ad I’ll step down and make a
motion to rescind that vote that we took on the ad to go in the paper for the
accountant. Clerk of the Board of
Commissioners, Paul Joly said, “Second.” Sue Medeiros said, “All in favor.” Paul Pacheco said, “Discussion, I don’t
agree with it I think we should clearly go with a CPA that we owe it to the
Towns people that we have somebody that’s certified not somebody we pull of
the wall that says they’ve got all kind of experience I’m going to go on record
as saying no I do not want it I do not agree with it.” Sue Medeiros said, “I would like to go on
record to say a CPA is great for certain situations whether it be your audit,
maybe certain times of the year when important documents come from the D.O.R.
but on a day to day basis I’m not saying that we won’t look at CPA with municipal background but my main
thing is the person should have municipal finance somebody who worked in a
different Town retired has that municipal financial background for the day to
day work working with Carol on warrants, some balance sheets I think that
person can do if for a lot less money than a CPA and keep the CPA when we
really need them for an audit.” Paul
Pacheco asked, “Is that going in the specs somebody that’s been working with
Carol on it before, that’s going to limit it?” Sue Medeiros said, “No that’s not what I
said.” Paul Pacheco asked, “What
exactly are you putting down that person has to be qualified to do?” Sue Medeiros said, “We don’t have to go
into qualifications all that person needs to do is
have municipal financial background and that will cover anything that Carol
will need on a day to day basis.” Paul
Pacheco asked, “How would they prove their background?” Sue Medeiros said, “When they submit their
bid the Board of Commissioners will meet with them we will ask for references
I will take it upon myself to check those references and get back to the
Board if need be I don’t care who gets it whether it be a CPA or somebody
with municipal background, whether it be an accountant or whatever it is we
should always check references, that should be a given.” Paul Joly said,
“We need to put in there CPA preferable, it keeps the door open for a CPA or
somebody with a municipal background.”
Paul Pacheco said, “Even if we don’t put it’s preferable or whatever
if you put it’s not a CPA it still opens the door for a CPA because a CPA is
more than qualified it’s just opening the door for a lot of unqualified
people to apply.” Paul Joly said, “If they don’t have municipality experience
those will be weeded out.” Sue
Medeiros said, “Our job is to open those bids look at them just take the
people with municipal financial background and then we do a reference check.” Paul Pacheco said, “And if we get two and
we get one that’s not certified one that’s certified, one that’s not
certified says but I did a lot more of that, then you’re okay with going with
somebody that’s not certified.” Sue
Medeiros said, “Absolutely for day to day work not for your audit.” Paul Pacheco said, “Even though we’re doing
it with a CPA we don’t have to have an audit every year the auditor does not
have to go over all the blocks of figures if an audit is done and the
previous accounting system was done by a CPA he can go off those figures.” Sue Medeiros said, “I can tell you right
now 99% of the time that never happens.”
Paul Pacheco said, “When it comes to accountant you can have one
person that’s a tax preparer, you can have somebody that’s been to college
and got certified, been tested and certified and if you’re just going for the
lower dollar….” Sue Medeiros said,
“We’re not going for the lower dollar we’ve been over this for the last hour
I’m not going to go over it no more Paul it’s not the lower dollar its
somebody with municipal financial background that can give us the work that
we need at the rate of money we should be paying we do not need a CPA to come
in to check warrants every week.” Paul
Pacheco said, “If we’re putting this out to public bid how do you know
already what the price of the CPA is coming in at.” Sue Medeiros said, “We’re going to look at
the bids.” Paul Joly
said, “When the bids come in we’ll know I’ll tell you right now CPA is going
to come in a hell of a lot higher than an accountant would.” Paul Pacheco said, “Reason being they’re
more qualified.” Sue Medeiros said,
“Don’t need that kind of qualifications to do your day to day work, we don’t
need to spend that kind of money for that, we’re paying all this money to
this Peter Roache guy on a monthly basis for him to
come in.” Paul Pacheco said, “That is
past history, we’re going for new bids.”
Sue Medeiros said, “But he’s a CPA we don’t need that.” Paul Pacheco asked, “Going out for new
bids?” Sue Medeiros said, “Right
that’s why we don’t need a CPA.” Paul
Pacheco said, “If it’s not done by a CPA then the audit when it’s done is
going to cost a lot more money.” Sue
Medeiros said, “Absolutely not, absolutely not.” Paul Joly said,
“Flat rate on the audit, what’s that guy charging $500 to review the
warrants.” Treasurer/Clerk, Carol
Stevens said, “I’ll go on the record and say we use to pay $6,000 to $7,000
tops we paid over $40,000 to have a CPA, there was no difference in getting
free cash certified than I ever had before.”
Paul Pacheco said, “Let me just say this she’s right she got her free
cash certified but the difference between $7,000- $40,000 was a complete
audit of sick time, of vacation time, of everything so you can’t compare what
we spent $40,000 for compared to what we spent $7,000 for if we only had him
do what we use to pay $6,000-$7,000 for it might have come in at $8,000 or
$9,000 we had him do twenty more things.”
Sue Medeiros said, “Paul, Paul, oh my God you’re getting off the track
here. It was because he did an
audit.” Carol Stevens asked, “Whose
opinion was it that we never had an audit done?” Paul Pacheco asked, “Did you show us any
audit?” Carol Stevens said, “I’ve had
an audit done every year since I’ve been here.” Paul Pacheco said, “You’ve had an audit
done.” Carol Stevens said, “Every
single year.” Paul Pacheco asked, “On
everything sick time, on vacation…?”
Carol Stevens said, “Sick time that cost us extra money, it cost an
extra $5,000. I have it in writing
from Diane that districts are so small it doesn’t apply, Diane did say who
ever does the audit now cannot do the
accounting.” Sue Medeiros said,
“Exactly.” Carol Stevens said, “The
accounting can be done by one person but a separate person for the
accounting, she never said it had to be a CPA.” Sue Medeiros said, “That’s my point
regarding an accountant with a municipal background for day to day stuff,
bring a CPA or someone who’s an auditor to do your audit that auditor or CPA
works with your Accountant and Treasurer and that’s how municipal law works.” Paul Pacheco asked, “Did we get anymore
work out of that $40,000 than we use to get for $6,000?” Carol Stevens said, “No.” Paul Pacheco said, “I want to see all the
reports David did for all the years and match exactly what Peter did.” Carol Stevens said, “I don’t know where it
ever came from we never had an audit since day one since I’ve been here there
has been an audit.” Paul Pacheco said,
“You’re going on record saying that we got the same exact thing from David
over the years as we did from Peter I know for a fact we got stacks from
Peter we didn’t get that from David.”
Carol Stevens said, “Don’t put words on the table every year we got an
audit.” Sue Medeiros said, “Paul you
brought Peter in to do a huge audit.
Carol is saying every year at the end of the year David would do an
overall audit. What you did I agree
bringing in that gentlemen to do a big audit that hadn’t been done in a long
time I have no problem with that my problem is going forward.” Paul Pacheco said, “The problem that I’m
having is I’m hearing that we did not get anything more for $40,000 than we
got for $7,000 I know that’s not true so I want to see everything that we use
to get for the $7,000 and everything we got for the $40,000.” Carol Stevens said, “$40,000 you got a
little book.” Paul Pacheco said,
“Other reports that went just to the Commissioners.” Carol Stevens said, “Sick time, vacation
time that you paid an extra $5,000 for that still does not coincide with what
we have, where did he get it from he had no information from me at all and
none from Tina, Tina and I were not involved.” Sue Medeiros said, “An auditor cannot come
in to do an audit in municipal government without working with your Treasurer
and your accountant you cannot do and audit.
When I was Treasurer I would spend three weeks of not breathing
because the auditors would have files and would say Sue what’s this you paid
this for payroll where’s the warrant to match this that’s how an auditor
works to do a correct audit. If he
didn’t get information from Treasurer’s reports it’s not a good audit.” Paul Pacheco said, “The figures she’s
talking about are not on the Treasurer’s reports.” Sue Medeiros said, “An audit cannot be done
unless you get the information from the Treasurer.” Paul Pacheco said, “Have Peter come in and
have him show us what we got for $40,000.”
Paul Joly asked, “Do we want to go
there?” Sue Medeiros said, “I want to
go forward.” Paul Pacheco said, “I do,
I do, I do, you know something the other night I made a motion that we have a
CPA do it everything was fine until somebody found out that we can do it
without and save money. I go on record
I personally think this is a personal setup to get one particular person who
was supporting in there and that is my opinion and you watch who gets
in.” Sue Medeiros said, “Peter Roache said you don’t need a CPA on day to day
work.” Paul Pacheco said, “You’re
right you need him for any financial statement and if a CPA did not do the
work they have to go further and they have to go back a year and dig into certify
it then they can do their audit.” Sue
Medeiros said, “You have no idea what you’re talking about. Certification has nothing to do at all with
the auditor. End of this discussion
anything else to say and then we’re going to take our vote.” Paul Pacheco said, “The thing I want to say
if somebody is not certified their figures have to be all re-checked somebody
certified the next auditor can go off of those figures you might pay a little
bit more to have a CPA but that is the motion I made now you guys want to do
your own thing you want to have it non-certified you do your thing.” Sue Medeiros said, “Certified is by the
Department of Revenue.” Paul Pacheco
said, “Personally I don’t have to have a CPA do my taxes I can have a tax
preparer do it I choose to do it the right way to do it with a CPA when I’m
dealing with the taxpayers money I think CPA is the way to do it. Charlie you’re on the Finance Committee
what’s your opinion.” Charlie Roderigues said, “I’m listening to it all. Pointing to Sue Medeiros he said, “That’s
where I go right there she’s not only informed that’s her business.” Sue Medeiros said, “That’s what I do I was
Treasurer three years Paul I know the law, municipal law, certify free cash.” Paul Pacheco said, “I’m not saying you’re
wrong that you don’t have to have a CPA I’m saying we owe it to the taxpayers
to give them certified figures.” Sue
Medeiros said, “They’re going to get certified figures but also we are
responsible to the taxpayer to save money if we don’t have to spend it.” Paul Joly said,
“You get certified figures when we get the audit done.” Paul Pacheco said, “Do the audit in three
years that auditor is going to have to re-do everything the accountant did
because he can’t go off of his figures because he’s not a CPA.” Sue Medeiros said, “Of course he can those
figures every year are certified by D.O.R. how do you think you get your free
cash you don’t get your free cash unless they’re certified.” Paul Pacheco said, “Let me tell you
something what the state sees is a general overview not each and every single
penny.” Sue Medeiros and Carol Stevens
said, “They see every single penny.”
Sue Medeiros said, “They go through every little thing.” Paul Pacheco said, “I don’t know the
correct answer but I’d be willing to bet fifty cents that gets spent at the
hardware store state employee didn’t look and say yes that’s fifty cents
there that was done by an accountant that gave them a total they went off of
total figure what was minor parts the state does not see every single little
thing.” Sue Medeiros said, “You said
fifty cents you spent fifty cents at the hardware store you get a bill an
invoice it goes over to the Treasurer to be paid that invoice and that
warrant where that bill is paid becomes part of the record that the auditor
finds when he’s auditing a district or a town that fifty cents is
accountable.” Paul Pacheco said, “You
just said the state looks at everything the state doesn’t.” Sue Medeiros said, “Of course they
do.” Paul Pacheco said, “The accountant
does the total the state looks at the total.”
Sue Medeiros said, “The State’s not going to come in and look at the
fifty cents.” Paul Pacheco said,
“That’s right and you just told me they did you said they look at every penny
they don’t look at every penny that’s why I want a CPA.” Sue Medeiros said, “Paul you’re starting to
read little things into everything. So
in other words accountants in today’s world, town accountants are all
crooks.” Paul Pacheco said, “I didn’t
say they’re crooks I said I want a certified I want it certified.” Paul Joly said,
“That’s what you’re indicating.” Sue
Medeiros said, “Carol let me ask you a question when Peter Roache comes in how often in the month, before the Board
wanted him to come in to check the warrants.”
Carol Stevens said, “He didn’t come in at all we were getting a bill
every month saying that he was giving us a report I have no report.” Paul Pacheco said, “I want to make sure CPA
accountant is doing it because they’re coming after me I want to make sure I
have a CPA behind me not a tax preparer behind it.” Sue Medeiros said, “Paul the day you got
elected when you raised your hand you swore you would up hold the law and I
did the same thing and when I sign that warrant I’m upholding my end.” Paul Pacheco said, “I go on the record
saying that I still uphold motion that I made that I think that we have a
CPA.” Sue Medeiros said, “Carol I made
the motion Paul Joly seconded it that we will go
with the ad saying municipal financial background preferable a CPA that way
it gives us the flexibility to look at both how much they charge, CPA comes
in at $100 with municipal background and all the others come in at $100
without a municipal background common sense which one we are going with.” Paul Joly said,
“CPA.” Sue Medeiros said, “All in
favor, aye.” Paul Joly
said, “Aye.” Paul Pacheco said,
“Opposed.” Sue Medeiros said, “I make
a motion to adjourn at 12:15.” Paul Joly said, “Second.”
Sue Medeiros said, “E-mail us a copy of the new ad” Respectfully
Submitted, Carol
A. Stevens District
Clerk Those
in Attendance: Sue
Medeiros Paul
Joly Paul
Pacheco Charles
Roderigues Charles
Cestodio Jr. Carol A. Stevens Dorian Jefferson ______________________ _____________________ _____________________ |