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School committee Chairperson Bethany Furtado said "In all the years I have been involved with the school department and the school committee we have not done a program audit. I think it was absolutely time we did." I agree.

But then she said "It showed how responsible the administration has been..." I think she should have said "It shows how IRRESPONSIBLE the administration has been." At a recent School Committee meeting Finance Director Anthony Ferrucci told the panel and the audience that there was a delay in selecting an auditing firm. I said to myself, "If this is supposed to be an independent audit, shouldn't ANYONE BUT Anthony Ferrucci be selecting the firm?" I have participated in dozens of audits with my mortgage company and previous mortgage companies I worked for and the one thing I noticed was the ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT OF SEPERATION between the auditors and the parties being audited. In this case the School Committee actually selected and PAID these two people to audit the School Committee. Is that an arms length relationship?

Hell no!

It wouldn't be by FNMA, FHA, or VA mortgaging guidelines. It wouldn't be by Federal or State Banking guidelines. I am very uncomfortable with this. It needs to be looked into further. I'm still trying to get a clear picture as to why the taxpayers gave $165 million+- dollars to the School Committee to pay for many more teachers and school buildings than we presently have. THEN the School Committee reduced their budgetary needs dramatically by laying off a huge amount of teachers and closing several schools and still somehow, ran short of money. That STILL doesn't make sense. It seems to me that they should have had a very large surplus. Maybe the answer is to have the City Council "audit" the audit. In the mortgage world we call it a desk review. It doesn't cost (the taxpayers) much and it will confirm that this "audit" is fair and honest, or it will expose it to be something else. One thing that should be mandatory. If we have another look at this it CAN'T be from an "interested party". It MUST be selected by lottery or by the City Council, NOT the School Committee! That would clearly be "an independent" audit review. Isn't that what the taxpayers deserve before we give the School Committee another dime?

Happy Labor Day everyone.

Rick Corrente

The Taxpayers Mayor