TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—The Township Council will likely vote soon on hiring a new financial auditor — or retaining its longtime auditor — following a split council vote at the May 15 meeting.
After receiving three submissions following a request for qualifications to secure proposals from audit firms, the council split evenly twice on 2–2 votes to hire a new auditor or retain its longtime auditor. Councilwoman Stacey Feeney was absent.
A vote is likely at the June 7 council meeting, said council members.
Voting in favor of longtime auditor Lerch, Vinci & Bliss, Fair Lawn, were councilman Tom Sears and councilwoman Daisy Velez. Council President Desserie Morgan and Vice President Steven Cascio opposed the rehiring.
Morgan and Cascio voted in favor of Wielkotz & Company LLC, Pompton Lakes, while Sears and Velez opposed the professional consultant’s hiring.
Morgan said she wanted to have “a fresh set of eyes” look over the township’s bookkeeping and Cascio said that having one company, such as Lerch, VInci & Bliss, act as both accountant and auditor, was a “conflict of interest.”
Sears defended Lerch, Vinci & Bliss’s dedication to the township and that they opened doors to financial opportunities for the town in the past and that he felt a loyalty to the firm. He said “loyalty means a lot to me and Lerch, Vinci has done a lot for this town.”
Cascio said that one firm should not be running and auditing bookkeeping because there would not be “an independent and objective set of criteria” for their review.
“I don’t care how loyal someone is, it just isn’t there. I’m not saying any company is incapable of doing it. But I think there is a conflict of interest,” said Cascio. He said hiring a new auditor for one year “wouldn’t hurt and would only be a benefit” and the council could always go back to Lerch Vinci.
Cascio said a prior consultant’s audit review found that Lerch, Vinci & Bliss “had overlooked a lot of things…that was eye-opening.” He noted, “I have an issue with the same person checking their own work.”
Morgan said the council would ask the auditor to appear at the May 22 special council meeting on the 2023–2024 budget adoption.