Saugus residents have mixed feelings about water and sewer audit

SAUGUS – Saugus resident Annmarie Napolitano called the recent forensic audit outlining $1.4 million in financial violations “disgusting” and said she wants the town to take legal action.?They should take it to court,” said Napolitano, as she headed to the Post Office Friday. “Our water rates are going up and are going up again and I think they should take (former Town Manager Andrew Bisignani) to court. I?ve had enough. I?m sick of it. I?m sick of the whole system in general. Get rid of them all. The whole town is so political. They haven?t been accountable for years. The town has been run by the same employees for 100 years. Get out and put new people in.”Click to view the Saugus audit review.The audit details $1.4 million in general fund-related payroll and expenses being charged to water and sewer accounts, which the audit says is a violation of municipal finance laws. Some of these expenses include employees of the highway, forestry and cemetery department being paid out of the water and sewer accounts, hundreds of thousands of dollars in vendor expenses not properly bid and payroll stipends improperly paid to employees.Saugus residents shopping in Cliftondale Square Friday afternoon had mixed feelings about the report.Roy Lattanzio called the audit finding a “mess” and wondered how nobody else in town could have caught on sooner.?They?re all fighting with each other,” said Lattanzio. “It?s awful. They?re all supposed to be working hand-in-hand. They should have found something. Every year we?re always in the hole, but they find the money every year. When sewer and water keep going up and up, as a taxpayer it?s very sad that they?re using that money for other things. The money is not meant to pay other things.”Lattanzio put his support behind new Town Manager Scott Crabtree, saying he thinks Crabtree will work “100 percent” toward solving the problem.?We?ve got a good Town Manager in there now and I think if we give him a chance he?ll straighten it out,” said Lattanzio. “The bottom line is, if it?s criminal intent, then someone has to take the blame for it. It didn?t happen over night. This has been going on for a long time.”Sean Fitzpatrick said he thinks Bisignani is a “nice guy,” but said he wasn?t surprised by the violations listed in the report.?It?s a town thing,” said Fitzpatrick. “Everybody does it in town. I guess that?s part of the deal.”Marilyn Ricciardelli said she?s glad the town is paying for the audit because she always wonders where her tax dollars are going.?It seems like we?re always out of money and there?s not enough for education,” said Ricciardelli. “Hopefully we?re not going to find much more (in the audit).”Lisa Zirpolo just moved to Saugus last year and said she?s hoping Crabtree and the current Board of Selectmen will be trustworthy moving forward.?I hope they?re all going to be honest and do the right thing by the town and the people,” said Zirpolo. “It would be nice if we could get re-imbursed for some of the things they found.”Jane Perez said she supported Bisignani, but noted if the audit findings turn out to be true, then the town should take some kind of action against him.?If it?s 100 percent sure then, yeah, I hate it,” said Perez. “Something should be done to him. You know how the big buck guys nothing ever happens to them.”Louise Andon lamented about her taxes constantly rising, but she had a more optimistic outlook for Saugus.?I?m a proud American and a Saugonian,” said Andon. “I think (town officials) do some wonderful things. You got the good and the bad. It?s kept beautiful and I think the town is lovely. I don?t worry about things like this, there?s still positive.”The Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee will hold a joint meeting with auditors from Powers and Sullivan on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to review the audit.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].