Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are being held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the instructions on the agenda.
Thursday, Sept. 8
- Finance Committee, 7 p.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 13
- Select Board, 7 p.m., Adult Community Center
Wednesday, Sept. 14
- It’s a Climate Emergency Series, 7 p.m.
Conversation Starters
Powers & Sullivan Again
Town Administrator Rich Waldo will recommend that the select board approve another contract for Powers & Sullivan, who have audited Wellfleet’s books for at least the last 20 years. This time, the recommendation is for one year, not the usual three years.
Waldo said Powers & Sullivan was the only bidder who responded to a request for proposals to conduct Wellfleet’s 2023 audit. Of other potential bidders Waldo said, “I don’t think they wanted to touch things until everything is squared away.”
This is the same firm that audited and approved the town’s books while catastrophic accounting errors occurred. Did Powers & Sullivan fail in its duty?
“I do not know that answer,” said Waldo. “I have not been around long enough. They could have done it better. But the town could have responded better to their work.”
The 2019 audit did not include a management letter, a highly unusual omission. The next audit, for 2020, had a “scathing” management letter, former treasurer Miriam Spencer told the Independent last year.
Since then, Powers & Sullivan has been auditing corrections to the books for 2020 and will soon audit 2021 and 2022 at the request of the state Dept. of Revenue. The DOR is preparing to review Wellfleet’s accounts to see if they are in order. If they are, it will certify free cash for the first time since 2019 — but there is no chance that will happen before Saturday’s special town meeting. —K.C. Myers
