WINDSOR – The New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration has ordered the town of Windsor to hire an accountant to perform a full audit of the town’s books.
For the past year, members of the Windsor Coalition of Taxpayers has been pushing for a review of the tax roles after the group discovered problems with the books being kept by longtime Tax Collector Bev Hines.
According to the coalition, and a preliminary audit report by bookkeeper Annette Poland, some taxpayers in Windsor have been delinquent in paying their taxes going back to 2001, and some of the collected tax money can’t be accounted for.
Last month, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office ordered the town to turn over its books to their office for further investigation while Poland continued her review. But last week, G. Philip Blatsos, commissioner of the Department of Revenue Administration, ordered the town to hire a certified public accountant.
“It has recently come to my attention that there has been a history of continuing issues with respect to the internal controls and critical books, records and documentation necessary for town officials to fulfill their fiduciary duties to the citizens of Windsor,” Blatsos said in the letter.
According to the commissioner, the problems with Windsor’s books date back to 1986, and the DRA has been recommending that the town order a full audit since 2002.
Because of the wide ranging problems with the books, including inconsistencies in revenues and expenses and a one-year arrearage in payments to the local schools, Blatsos ordered the town to do the audit, “with a concentration on tax collections and receivables.” The town must hire an accountant by April 30, Blatsos said.
Attorney Paul Apple, who represents the town, said the town would abide by the order.
“We are in the process of finding a CPA to do an audit and we will comply with what the DRA has ordered,” Apple said. “Clearly, this is going to be financially demanding on the town of Windsor.”
Windsor has a total operating budget, including schools, of about $500,000. An audit could cost up to $35,000.
Apple is also concerned that the timing of the DRA’s letter may make finding a qualified accountant tough.
“It’s tax season,” he said. “It’s difficult to coordinate an audit at this time of year.”
To see more articles on the situation in WINDSOR please search on that word.
Here is an April 10, 2008 podcast of NH Taxpayer Radio in which Ed talks about the Windsor case.