Consultants find no "oh-my-god" failures but flag permit overrides and student activity funds as higher risk

Consultants from CliftonLarsonAllen presented the results of a townwide fraud risk assessment of cash-handling on Sept. 16, telling the Board of Finance they found no critical control failures but identified specific areas that warrant stronger controls.

The consultants reviewed 11 cash-handling areas across town departments and Simsbury Public Schools, performed on-site walkthroughs and interviews, and evaluated documented policies and procedures. "There were no critical findings — I always call them 'oh-my-god moments' — there were none of those," said Jeff Ziplo, a principal at CliftonLarsonAllen. He said the review produced two higher‑risk items and a number of medium- and low‑risk findings the town could address to ``raise the bar'' on controls.

Why it matters: the assessment covers collections and cash-related functions where errors or abuse could move public dollars outside usual controls. The consultants and finance staff framed the work as proactive: the audit was commissioned not because of a known problem but to confirm controls and improve transparency.

Key findings and recommendations

- Permit fee overrides: The permitting system allows fee overrides (for instance, to avoid double-charging a subcontractor for a permit when the general contractor already paid). Aaron Perillo, a…