Burlington Ballot Question Follows Years Of Unresolved Problems

BURLINGTON, MA — Publicly, backers of a "yes" vote on the ballot in the town election Saturday have pointed out that Burlington is one of the few towns in Massachusetts that still elects a treasurer. They note that an appointed employee will insure that the person filling the job is qualified, and that the forthcoming retirement of Treasurer Brian Curtin makes it an ideal time to make the switch.

Privately, however, those same backers note to consistent problems in the department. Starting in 2015, for example, the management letter that accompanies the town's annual financial report has noted problems in how the office tracks vacation and sick time. "Should be completed in 2016," the management note said in 2015.

As of June 30, 2018, the problem had still not been corrected. A similar note on problems with reconciling payroll has been included in the management letter for each of the past three years. Other problems in the office include using QuickBooks through 2017, even though the town has licensed the municipal financial management software most other Massachusetts towns use for at least 25 years.

But supporters of a 'yes' vote on the ballot question say voters can be trusted to choose qualified candidates.

"How about keep the treasurer elected to protect voter rights?" Precinct 4 Town Meeting member Frank Monaco said. "The treasurer does not create or control the budget, but rather collects revenue and pays bills. The citizens are best served by having the treasurer answer to them."

Curtin's office has also been criticized for its role in the school system's financial management problems. In 2017, Patch reported on dozens of school checking accounts that were held in the names of indvidual school employees and not with the town, as required by law. An independent review of the accounts found that some had not been reconciled in more than 20 years, forcing school officials to say they could not rule out wrongdoing in how the accounts were used.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).