After Lengthy Discussion, New BOE Auditor Approved

The voted Thursday to approve its new auditor for the 2012-13 school year. However, the move did not come without a lengthy discussion, both before and after the board’s meeting on Thursday night.

Wiss & Co. LLP was appointed the board’s new auditor for a one-year term that will cost the district $78,500. The firm will begin auditing the district’s expenditures for the 2011-12 school year on July 1.

“They’re ensuring that your processes are in place and that they are appropriately undertaken,” Board Attorney Kathleen Gilfillan said. “They’re not there to oversee each and every expenditure. It’s not as if they’re taking a look at your checkbook to see what you’re spending on.”

Confusion arose, however, as to whether or not the new auditor had agreed during the interview process to report instances of guideline discrepancies. For this reason, board member Susy Golderer requested the new auditor visit the board before the auditing process begins to explain the board’s expectations.

“One of the things I would like to ask you is that, once we do make a decision on which firm we’re approving, we bring them back and make them aware that they do answer to the board,” Golderer said.

Golderer served on the committee that recommended the new auditor’s approval alongside Board of Education Vice President Frank Neglia, who reiterated his comfort with Wiss & Co. as the board’s chosen accounting firm on Thursday night.

“My understanding is that, No. 1, they would report (discrepancies) and, No. 2, they would advise us,” Neglia said. “I don’t think their meeting was to hide anything or to be deceitful, but I did understand that their meaning was to find a solution for it.”

District Superintendent LeRoy Seitz also felt confident that the committee’s recommendation for the new auditor was the right choice.

“We would not be sitting here making a recommendation for an auditor if they said they would not report audit exceptions to the board,” Seitz said.

The measure passed by an 8-0 margin, with an abstention coming from board member Michael Strumolo.