Khalife Letter 8-25-08

August 25, 2008
Gennaro A. Marino P.E.
409 W. Main St.
Kutztown, Pa 19530
610-683-7977
Borough Manager Gabriel Khalife
Kutztown Borough Hall
Dear Sir,
Friday August 22, 2008 I visited the Borough Hall and asked to see the Budgets and Audits for 2006 and 2007. Finance Director\Assistant Treasurer Samilo was called by the clerk and proceeded to make excuses, but simply put there is no budget or audit for 2006 and 2007 available at the Borough Hall desk. He showed me a stack of white letter size papers and told me it was a copy of the 2006 Audit and I stated I want to see a copy of the Official Audit. He stated that was all he had. He stated he did not have the 2007 Audit because it was being finalized. I stated, as per the Borough Code, the Audit shall be completed and published within 90 after December 30, 2007, the end of the fiscal year, in a local newspaper. He could not tell me if it was published in a local newspaper or the date it was published. He also could not tell me if the 2006 Audit was published or a date when it was published. I also informed him that the office of the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas told me they never received a copy of the 2006 Audit which is another Borough Code violation.
About one month ago I spoke to you and Mr. Samilo and made the same requests and the reply was the same which means nothing has changed. This means you, as Treasurer, have done nothing to conform to the Borough Code and make the financial reports public. He also stated the audits were on the borough website and I stated many people are not on the internet and they should be at the desk at the Borough Hall. I ask you, if they are on the website why can’t they be available at the Borough desk?
I also asked to see the budget that was published monthly which showed the revenue and expenditures for the month, totals to date and compared it to the proposed budget. These monthly reports were given to department heads to determine if they were over or under their budget. The department heads also do not receive them because Mr. Samilo said we do not do our accounting that way. How can anyone know if the Borough is over or under the budget? On the other hand that is how the Borough Officials want it, they do not want anyone to know about the Borough’s finances especially the financial status of Hometown Utilicom.
There has never been a complete financial report on Hometown Utilicom. If Borough Officials state there was one please get me a copy which I will gladly pay for.
PLAINLY PUT, PRESENTLY THERE ARE NO FINANCIAL RECORDS OR DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT THE BOROUGH HALL.
I demand that you make the Borough financial records available to the public as per the Borough Code or explain why you can not.
Sincerely,

Gennaro A. Marino P.E.
Please include Borough records and documents with all answers and comments to this letter.