Audit shows Robinson-Briggs' bumbling legacy still with us

Rating Robinson-Briggs' fiscal performance. Hmmmm....

A quick review of the City of Plainfield 2013 Audit (see the document online here) shows that a host of issues -- ranging from petty lapses to more serious ongoing problems -- are part of a bumbling legacy in fiscal matters bequeathed to the city by former mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.

The complete list can be found in the last few pages (starting at page 130) of the PDF document.

Here are just a few examples from former mayor Robinson-Briggs' last year in office --

• PURCHASING -- The legacy of shoddy purchasing practices was still not under control, with purchases made without purchase orders, exceeding of expenditure limits, and cumulative expenditures over the bid threshold not always approved in the Council minutes. The Mapp administration has been tackling purchasing issues; we won't know its impact until next year's audit.
  
  
• TRUST FUNDS -- Several trust funds set up by 'Dedication by Rider' resolutions were denied by the state because supporting documentation was not submitted. These included the city's Workmen's Compensation and Medical Self-Insurance funds.
  
  
• REGISTRAR -- Quarterly payments to the state (for marriage licenses, etc.) were sometimes late, sometimes incorrect and once were made in duplicate.
  
  
• GRANTS -- Numerous grant issues surfaced, including grant reserves from prior years that need to be cleared. This problem has been pointed out in previous years, and Mayor Mapp's new CFO has moved to begin to clear up this mess.

As Robinson-Briggs appears to be planning a revival of her political career, these audit findings are an important reminder of her past performance.

As for the Council, it is worth noting that the members individually and jointly swear each year that they have read and understand the audit findings and recommendations.

So, why was Councilor Reid so surprised when the CFO proposed a resolution cleaning up just some of the grants mess at last week's agenda-setting session?

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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