Attorney General Linda L. Kelly 7-1-11

July 1, 2011
Gennaro A. Marino P.E.
409 West Main Street
Kutztown, Pa 19530
610-683-7977
Office of Attorney General
Attorney General Linda L. Kelly
16th Floor
Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, Pa 17120
Madam Attorney General Linda L. Kelly

I am a resident of Kutztown Pennsylvania and would like to question the Borough’s mandatory 2011 Annual Audit which was submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Under the Right to Know Law I purchased a copy of the Audit from the Borough and found it lacking vital facts and statistics. I questioned this with the Borough’s Financial Officer Samilo and he stated that was all he had which was a copy of the Audit sent to the DCED and that there will be another audit for the Borough Council. My question is should there be two 2010 Audits?

The Audit does not include an annual Debt Service total, all it states is Debt Service Interest. The Borough’s Newsletter, The Kutztonion, (attached) lists the Debt Service as $582,065 which is the amount of Debt Service interest in the Audit the DCED received (attached). The total Debt Service for the Borough is more than $1.1 million.

The Borough has never been very forthcoming with financial reports or budgets. There are no separate annual budgets or audits for the Electric, Water, Sewer and Telecommunications Departments. The mandatory Annual Audit sent to the DCED suffices that one audit fits all. How can the Borough Electric, Water, Sewer and Telecommunications rates be determined by the Borough Officials without an Audit or Budget?

My attached letter to the Borough Elected Officials dated June 1, 2011, details the above statements and further questions the Audit that was submitted to the DCED. I have never received a reply to my letter from any Borough Elected Officer or Borough Official. My letter also points out that the Audit sent to the DCED is not to be made public and should only be issued to specific agencies. The Audit was sold to me, is on the Borough website and is available at the Borough Hall.

I feel these issues I raise should be investigated by your Office and the Audit submitted to the DCED should be scrutinized by your Office. Thank you.

Sincerely,


Gennaro A. Marino P.E.