For several years, the Hammonton Democrats have warned of a lack of financial oversight by the Town Council. The Hammonton Democrats emphasized the importance of having the right process in place rather than rush to get things done. We were accused of holding up progress and of being negative. However, now it seems that the 2007 Town Audit shows that our concerns were well-founded.
The Town Council made several errors in administering the Towns financial processes. It seems that change orders and professional services contracts were approved without a council resolution and without certifying that funds were available. The Town Council also awarded contracts to vendors who did not submit the proper paperwork. Whether intentional or not, such errors undermine the spirit of open and accountable government.
These errors also raise questions about future plans that the Council is considering. The Town Council wants to give millions of your taxpayer dollars to Stockton so that the college will open a facility down-town. We doubt that this plan could be successful without raising taxes even under perfect conditions. But with such poor financial management, the probability of taxes rising due to the Stockton plan is even more likely!
Jim MacLane, Michael Perrotta and I, along with the rest of the Hammonton Democrats, may not be the flashiest folks in town. But we take the idea of open government and sound financial governance seriously. The reason is simple. The Hammonton Democrats realize that being elected to Council means that the taxpayer trusts you to spend their hard-earned dollars carefully. We will not violate that trust!
