Delayed Grafton Audits Could Delay Next One Says CPA

A Crystal Lake CPA invited to talk to the Grafton Township Board about auditing its 2011/12 books told the group Thursday that ethical issues from conflicts about the two previous audits would probably prevent his conducting one.  "Any auditor would be unable to issue an opinion because of ethical issues," said George Roach who volunteered to mediate between the Board and audit firm Evans, Marshall & Pease to get the earlier ones squared away.  "I don't have a dog in this fight," he said.

It was the only positive note in a Board meeting that started on a sour one and became increasingly discordant.  At initial issue were what trustees said was tardy compensation.  Moore as Township treasurer cuts checks for her own roughly $60,000 per year salary but she also writes the $100 per meeting checks for trustees.

"Have you been paid since April?" demanded Trustee Jerry McMahon at top stentorian form.

"Yes," replied Supervisor Linda Moore.

"You've been getting your checks," McMahon roared.  "Why haven't we been getting ours? Are you doing this to be mean and nasty to us?"

Trustees last year accelerated the schedule for meeting checks from quarterly to monthly but Thursday Moore challenged their right to do so.  In the argument following, both sides claimed authority in judge Michael Caldwell's seven month-old order to sort out the balance of power on the Grafton Board so no conclusion was reached.

Turning to June bills, Trustee Rob LaPorta unfavorably compared Moore to her predecessor who, he said, had given trustees far more information.  "He provided checks and purchase orders," said LaPorta.  "He brought his laptop in."

"Use this," said Moore, triumphantly whipping out a laptop full of records which she handed to LaPorta.

LaPorta began to boot the computer up while Moore and the rest of the Board bickered over computer investigating firm Forensicon's long-delayed bill for finding out where missing Township financial records went.  Moore agreed Judge Caldwell ordered her to pay the bill but said he never specified how much she should pay.

LaPorta abruptly announced he couldn't get into the laptop's billing program.  "This password doesn't work," he said.  Moore took the thing back but eventually said she couldn't make it work, either.  "It's supposed to," she said.  "I don't know"

More comedy ensued later following heated exchanges between and among McMahon and audience members in the public comment session.  Moore peremptorily rapped her gavel and declared a five-minute recess. "We haven't agreed to it," cried LaPorta.  McMahon quickly nominated him as temporary chairman, the Board as rapidly confirmed it, and Moore dashed back to her seat never having managed to get out of the room.

The entire Board seemed amenable to Roach's offer to be an intermediary to get auditor Paul Thermen to discuss the 2009/10 and 10/11 audits.  Thermen signed the former but has told FEN that until he's paid for it he's barred  by his profession's ethical canons from certifying the latter.  The 10-11 audit is long overdue for submission to the Illinois Comptroller.  So was the 9/10 audit until Moore sent it in without approval from the rest of the Board. A Comptroller's spokesman told FEN last month his office is merely a "repository" and wouldn't address the question of an audit's validity if it hasn't been accepted by the group under examination.

In the pic: Grafton Supervisor Linda Moore (left) was unpersuaded Thursday by arguments by Trustee Rob LaPorta (right) that she ought to issue trustees' meeting checks monthly.