How many times have we heard Salisbury Mayor Barrie Tilghman preface a statement with those very same words? If Pam Oland was so competent, why was the FY 2007 audit almost four (4) months late?
This time last year Tilghman was making excuses for the FY 2006 audit being five months late. In fact, the city council had to move the deadline so that it wouldn't have been even later.
If Ms. Oland is so competent, why were accounts not reconciled properly?
If Ms. Oland is so competent, why were two accounts totaling $10.2 million simply missing from the city's ledger?
Time and again, Tilghman and Oland have been asked by certain members of the city council if the Finance Department needed more staff. They were ask if temporary staff was needed to help get the audit in accurately and on time.
The answer was no. Tilghman feels that it is a far better use of tax dollars to reward her sycophants with promotions and pay raises than it is to be a faithful steward of the taxpayers' hard earned money.
One of Tilghman's (and Oland's) latest excuses is that Oland is overworked. She's responsible for finance, procurement, for HR. This is government at its finest. Ms. Oland can't perform her duties as Finance Chief properly, so give her more responsibility.
If you don't believe me, ask Tilghman. On February 7, 2007 Tilghman is quoted in the Tilghman Times, "But I am confident (Oland) has done everything that needs to be done
to make sure going forward that everything is in order."
I love Tilghman's confidence. It's February, 2008 and the audit is about to be presented to the city council. Oland and her personnel committed errors that only amounted to MILLIONS of DOLLARS.
A month later, in March of 2007, Tilghman felt that audit completion should not be a problem when they start working on the next audit in September (2007). Of course, the next audit was not only completed late (again), but the Finance Department had material errors in the work that was presented to auditors.
But I'm sure that we'll all be reading about how everything will be just fine - next year. ... under the excellent leadership of Pam Oland.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Salisbury, politics, Salisbury politics, fiscal policy, Barrie Tilghman, Pam Oland
This time last year Tilghman was making excuses for the FY 2006 audit being five months late. In fact, the city council had to move the deadline so that it wouldn't have been even later.
If Ms. Oland is so competent, why were accounts not reconciled properly?
If Ms. Oland is so competent, why were two accounts totaling $10.2 million simply missing from the city's ledger?
Time and again, Tilghman and Oland have been asked by certain members of the city council if the Finance Department needed more staff. They were ask if temporary staff was needed to help get the audit in accurately and on time.
The answer was no. Tilghman feels that it is a far better use of tax dollars to reward her sycophants with promotions and pay raises than it is to be a faithful steward of the taxpayers' hard earned money.
One of Tilghman's (and Oland's) latest excuses is that Oland is overworked. She's responsible for finance, procurement, for HR. This is government at its finest. Ms. Oland can't perform her duties as Finance Chief properly, so give her more responsibility.
If you don't believe me, ask Tilghman. On February 7, 2007 Tilghman is quoted in the Tilghman Times, "But I am confident (Oland) has done everything that needs to be done
to make sure going forward that everything is in order."
I love Tilghman's confidence. It's February, 2008 and the audit is about to be presented to the city council. Oland and her personnel committed errors that only amounted to MILLIONS of DOLLARS.
A month later, in March of 2007, Tilghman felt that audit completion should not be a problem when they start working on the next audit in September (2007). Of course, the next audit was not only completed late (again), but the Finance Department had material errors in the work that was presented to auditors.
But I'm sure that we'll all be reading about how everything will be just fine - next year. ... under the excellent leadership of Pam Oland.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Salisbury, politics, Salisbury politics, fiscal policy, Barrie Tilghman, Pam Oland
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11 comments:
Unreconciled accounts and being months behind is the way to missing monies. This practice has been used by the county as well, until Prettyman caught on about the Civic Center and Bob Wagner was sent packing, as was the man he replaced Dick Bourne.
And, of course, two says into this and the Daily Times features the incendiary articles about a wine tasting at a service station, and a guy who painted his Chevy Chevette in the Earnhardt colors. Wow. We all hope that type of reporting does not cuase too many ripple throughout the community.
In my opinion, the Times is complicit in this affair with its silence (and / or ignorance) on this issue. The voice of the people is only being heard through this blog, and most of the regular media (the suppsed eyes and ears of the people) does its best to minimize this forum of communication, exposure, and debate.
This is the time where Council Members Campbell and Cohen have to press hard and loudly. Shout down the gavel. Shout down guilty parties. And do not stop the shouting until the people are served. This enire event is official incompetance at best, and political malfesance, corruption, and derelicion of duty at its worst. Call the guilty parties on it. Force them to answer the quesions. Force them to admit their actions and intentions. Though, Debbie and Terry might also have to shout over the rousing stading ovation they would receive from the gathered audience.
And, voters of Salisbury, remember to ask hese same questions of Ms. Cathcart, since she was around at the beginning of this fiasco, and make her take a stand on this. Everyone else seems to have taken theirs.
Now, where is that petition?
A couple years back, when Barrie got the Dream Team to combine the former purchasing office into the "Finance Dept.", the question was raised about too many things in one office and Oland's experience, which is minimal, in
either purchasing or municipal finance matters.
This is the end product of Barrie's strategy of puppets whose strings she can pull from behind the curtain. The capstone is getting Trice-Geary as the auditor.
This situation needs to be changed immediately if not sooner.
BTW- what is Oland's salary?
What's a couple of million among friends? No wonder Perdue didn't make a counter offer that she couldn't refuse, to keep her there!
And as usual, the Tighlman Times reports NOTHING of this debacle. What a waste of trees that birdcage liner is!!!!
The Tilghman Times:
Complete silence;
It's deafening,
Once again!
Somebody get the tape of Barrie's introduction of Oland to the City's employ. To hear that, you'd think this gal Oland could single-handedly manage the finances of the entire State. If Oland is a example of Wharton School training, something is badly amiss. The accounting errors stated in the Audit letter appear to be very basic tasks and for Oland not to even know that almost $11million was off the books is an egregious error. As a result Oland will have no credibility. Of course, too, we know that Barrie is fond of saying that 'we rely on staff'. That cannot be true in the case of Oland. Even a small business would not keep an accountant on its payroll who in consecutive years has failed so miserably to perform her duties with taxpayer funds. Oland is damaged goods and bad for City; she needs to go.
agh...has the city issued tax rebates yet?
There was some coverage of this debaucle on WBOC last night. Unfortunately, I was doing other things and missed a good portion of the broadcast, but did hear that 'Tilghman said that no one would lose their job' or something to that effect. Did anyone else see or hear this? Damage control mode is in gear. Citizens, stand up and be heard.
Good post, Dan!
The $10 million may have been only "misplaced" rather than missing, but this whole thing stinks to high heaven. I will NOT accept any more B.S. coming out of these people!
RECALL, period. The city's financial mess is the Mayor's fault!
What happened? Did Louise lose her, "Fine toof comb?"
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