Tiverton Citizens for Change

My following of the Town Council’s doings has slipped, a bit, I’m afraid, so I’ve only picked up hints and news reports of the ongoing battle between council members and Town Treasurer Phil DiMattia:

A grab-bag of issues gave rise to the questioning, which were numerous and remained largely unresolved. It was unclear at meeting’s end what actions the treasurer would take in response to the council’s expressed concerns. In addition, there were other known questions that went unasked due to Mr. DiMattia’s unexpected departure.

One issue discussed at length was a $46,267 item listed in the annual financial audit, that appeared as a public works “expenditure” in the restricted landfill closure account.

With Mr. DiMattia before them at the witness table, council members fired away.

As a restricted account, the landfill money is not supposed to be available for spending. Other issues that the members raised had to do with the absence of interest reported on sewer interceptor bonds, questions with reporting of abatements, and spending on an audit that the council expresses authority to approve. No accusations of wrongdoing have been made, that I’ve seen.

Mr. DiMattia published a letter in yesterday’s Newport Daily News that addressed such issues:

The article states incorrectly that there are outstanding financial reports that are overdue on revenues, expenditures and interest income. I have completed all financial reports through January 2010 and issued an 82-page investment report to the Town Council. The council and I agreed that as treasurer, I will prepare an investment report on a quarterly basis and the next investment report is due in April.

The article also was incorrect when it implied that as town treasurer, I am responsible for budget shortfalls. The Tiverton town charter, Section 602, states that the Tiverton town treasurer’s only budget responsibility is to prepare an annual department budget for the treasurer’s office, which is submitted to the Budget Committee for review and approval. The revenue and expenditure budget is a collective effort of all department heads, the town administrator, the Town Council members and the Budget Committee and approved by the voters of Tiverton at the annual financial town meeting in May. …

The article once again is incorrect in assigning blame to the treasurer for the loss in the Landfill Investment Account. This account is being reviewed and still must be verified by detailed schedules yet to be received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, from the audit firm Parmelee, Poirier & Associates LLP. All of these landfill investments were made by prior treasurers before I became treasurer in fiscal 2009. I will complete a financial analysis of all landfill investments included in the audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, and present a report at the next Town Council meeting on March 8.

As a budgetary matter as well as a political one, this dispute bears watching. It’s already evidence, however, of the importance of contention in government at all levels. When officials who are ultimately accountable only to the voters butt heads, they tend to correct each other’s mistakes and scatter information beyond the town hall, state house, or capitol and into the public consciousness.