TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—An annual municipal audit recommended seven changes be made in the township’s fiscal management procedures and incorporated into a corrective action plan to be developed and made publicly available within 45 days, or by Aug. 19.
The public notice describing the synopsis of the 2021 audit for the year ending Dec. 31, 2021 was published July 5 and compares the combined comparative municipal balance sheets for 2021 and 2020. Copies of printed public notices are available online at njpublicnotices.com.
The audit report was submitted by Gary J. Vinci, registered municipal accountant, and is on file at the Township Clerk’s Office, and available for public inspection during normal business hours.
“A Corrective Action Plan, which outlines actions the Township of Washington will take to correct the findings listed … will be prepared in accordance with federal and state requirements,” states the public notice.
The recommendations that must be addressed include:
- Continued efforts be made to review prior years’ open purchase orders in the General Capital Fund for validity and action be taken to clear of record where appropriate;
- Inactive miscellaneous and appropriated grant reserves be expended or canceled;
- All Trust Fund reserves be reviewed and approval be obtained from the Division of Local Government Services to expend dedicated trust funds.
- Purchase orders be encumbered when contracts are awarded and prior to the ordering of goods or services;
- Grants receivable balances in the Current Fund be subsequently collected or cleared of record;
- Procedures over purchasing be reviewed and revised to ensure purchases made through a national cooperative purchasing program adhere to requirements of the Local Public Contracts Law; and
- All change orders modifying the original contract award be approved in the official minutes.
We reached out to town CFO John Corcoran for comment but did not hear back by press time.