Despite audit, Saugus selectmen will submit preliminary budget

SAUGUS – The Saugus Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Monday night to submit a preliminary budget for 2013 to the Finance Committee, despite the fact that the budget is not accurate due to a forensic audit being conducted into financial issues in the town?s books.The town charter states that the budget has to be submitted to the Finance Committee by March 1, but an audit by Powers and Sullivan, which began on Monday, will be looking into possible financial violations.?It will be very difficult to make recommendations at this point without that audit or knowing where the monies are misappropriated or misspent or misplaced, but I understand the charter and there are certain obligations ?” said Temporary Town Manager John Vasapolli. “This is an unprecedented situation. This is a work in progress.”Vasapolli said he expects the audit to be completed by the end of the month.The projected deficit for 2013 increased from $2.9 million to $3.1 million, as Town Treasurer/Collector Wendy Hatch said several positions in the town had to be reclassified, including employees from the Forestry and Highway Departments who were being paid from the water or sewer enterprise accounts, and the cemetery department and building department which had employees not previously budgeted.The total appropriations for 2013 is $70.7 million.Former selectman Scott Crabtree said it will be important to put a realistic budget together based on the funds the town has and not hope for free cash to materialize in the future.?We need to get away from that,” said Crabtree, who resigned from the board to pursue the open Town Manager job. “I think we?re at the end of the road of trying to budget by waiting for free cash to come in to fill in the operating expenses. It?s like running your household waiting for a tax return to come in. It?s just sound accounting.”Selectmen Chairman Mike Serino said he and Crabtree will draft a letter to the Finance Committee to go along with the budget explaining that it?s just a work in progress.The Finance Committee meets Wednesday to review the budget.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].