Let’s put it to bed
To the editor:
I was very pleased when the council allowed me to speak for an additional time period because I had a lot to say at the meeting. I want to thank the mayor and the council members that voted to allot me the extra time.
Although I have to admit that it would have been better if one of the council members had brought up for reconsideration a vote to seek an attorney general’s opinion on finding # 4 of the Florida State Auditor’s Audit. The finding reads that the city did not consider all available net assets from prior fiscal years in adopting 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 fiscal year budgets for the Water and Sewer Funds and Stormwater funds reported separately or combined, contrary to Section 166.241(2) Florida State Statutes. The city manager indicates that the city does not concur with this finding.
On Nov. 24, 2008 the city manager misled the council and the public. A classic example, and I quote, “I would like to take us back to the time when the city council made the request to the representatives office to go to the state and ask for this audit.” This is not a fact.
Actually that audit came about because Mr. Sal Grosso went to Jeff Kottkamp, who was a state representative at the time, and provided him with documents. Because of Mr. Grosso’s efforts and research, Rep. Kottkamp personally met with the members of the joint legislative auditing committee which is the group that supervises the auditor general and they agreed unanimously to conduct the audit of Cape Coral. This is how the audit came about.
At the council meeting of Nov. 24, the city manager talked about repetitive reporting and used the example of the $28 million public safety building. His statement that the $28 million would have to be reported time after time if we followed the state auditor’s finding #4. This is not accurate. During any budget cycle the amount of money expended from any project would be subtracted and only the remaining balance would be carried over to the next budget cycle.
Mr. Stewart stated and I quote “This document from the auditor general’s office validates that there was never any theft of money. There was never any hiding of money. There was never any misappropriation of money.” This comment makes one wonder if Mr. Stewart understands the difference between various types of audits or was he just attempting to make this audit something other than what it was. You can put tires on a boat but it’s still a boat.
The type of audit needed to find theft, misappropriations or concealing would be a forensic audit. The kind of audit Mr. Kessler was doing.
One has to wonder why the processes have not been fixed since the audit results came in two and a half years ago.
Mr. Stewart et al disagrees with the state auditor general on finding #4. So, let’s find out if the auditor general is right or if Mr. Stewart is right. There is nothing to be afraid of. If the city manager is right then the process stays as it is. If he’s wrong then we change the process. It’s that simple.
This isn’t rocket science, so let’s just get an attorney general’s opinion and put this to rest once and for all.
John Sullivan
Cape Coral Minutemen