Council to receive 2002 audit

council and administration should get a clearer picture tonight of exactly how its financial situation began to tailspin last year when auditors present the 2002 year-end financial report at a public meeting at the Civic Centre.
Coun. Deane Cunningham said the public meeting is an annual event where auditors (BDO Dunwoody) normally make a presentation to council, but added this should prove particularly interesting given the current circumstances.
“Everybody’s aware of the deficit,” he noted. “And the auditors can now report on what happened and why it happened.
“I don’t have any foreknowledge of the report. It’s to be presented to us at the meeting as, under the Municipal Act, this is the procedure to follow,” added Coun. Cunningham.
“But I’m interested to see what they to say. I’m sure the residents will be, as well.”^Auditors Jock Spence and Jonathan Evans will present the 2002 year-end financial report, along with what is called a “management letter”—containing the auditors’ recommendations to prevent a re-occurrence.
“I think that it [the report and letter] will definitely help us out,” said town treasurer Peggy Dupuis.
At its Sept. 8 meeting, council passed a recommendation to transfer $1.81 million from reserve funds to finance the 2002 yearend deficit.
At that time, the deficit was reported by former town CAO Bill Naturkach as caused by a number of factors, including over-projected revenues and transfers from reserve funds that were not completed.
Since then, town management and administration went over the books for 2003 and discovered further shortfalls, including, as reported at a meeting last Tuesday afternoon, almost $800,000 considered an “unreconciled amount that could lead to a deficit,” said Dupuis.
The public meeting is slated for 7 p.m. at the Civic Centre.
Also tonight, a bylaw to assume, stop up, and close part of a lane south of 410 Mosher Ave. also will be the subject of a public meeting preceding the regular council one.
A letter of objection from Ann- Elizabeth Johnson regarding the partial lane closure has been received by council.
Johnson stated in the letter that the proposed sale of the land will restrict access to her property.
She added she’s planning to build a garage on her property down the road and is concerned about this restricted access, as well as a lowered property value.
Other business at tonight’s council meeting will include:
•a request for a financial donation for the fifth-annual “Scott Street Scare”;
•a request for financial assistance from the Royal Canadian Legion regarding its annual poppy campaign, and a request to proclaim Oct. 30-Nov. 11, 2003 as Legion Weeks in Fort Frances;
•a request for consideration from Mark Fontana regarding additional dockage with a crosswalk along the waterfront, and the possibility of hiring a summer student as bylaw officer to increase patrols along the La Verendrye Parkway; and
•a bylaw to approve a contract for installation of airfield guidance signage at the municipal airport to Moncrief Construction Ltd.