This was sent to me yesterday for release from the Zimmer campaign:
ZIMMER HIGHLIGHTS FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT DOCUMENTED IN HOBOKEN'S CERTIFIED FINANCIAL AUDIT
Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer today highlighted the results of Hoboken's Certified Financial Audit, which was completed at the end of January and is now finally available. The Auditors' report demonstrates how the City's finances have been irresponsibly managed, according to Zimmer.
Zimmer said, "While we were already aware of many of the problems outlined in the Certified Financial Audit, the document clearly shows the financial mismanagement that created Hoboken's fiscal crisis As Mayor, I will provide a clean break from the fast and loose financial practices that have become routine under 16 years of the Roberts and Russo Administrations."
Among the Auditors' Findings, highlighted by Zimmer:
· There were budget over-expenditures of $11,335,748
· The City did not record expenditures which should have been charged against its annual budgetary appropriation during the year
· The City entered into an early retirement program without receiving the required authorization from the state.
· Opportunities for an individual to perpetrate and conceal errors of fraud exists.
· $11,526,755 in funds were wrongly certified as available for the Maxwell Place Walkway.
· The developer of Maxwell Place Residences was hired as the construction manager without approval of the Mayor and the Council.
Significant Deficiencies indentified by the auditors include inadequate overall control design, absence of segregation of duties consistent with appropriate control objectives, inadequate procedures for appropriately assessing and applying accounting principles and failure of controls designed to safeguard assets from loss, damage or misappropriation.
Zimmer posted the Certified Financial Audit in its entirety on her web site, www.zimmerforchange.com. Zimmer said "Hoboken taxpayers should be able to easily access this important information. That is why I am providing it on my website." ◦
