Residents press Watertown board on audits, FOIL fees and legal costs

Several members of the public used the board’s second public-comment period to press the district on audit findings, legal spending and what one speaker called an excessive fee for a FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request.

Millie Smith, who addressed agenda items earlier, asked the board to explain the memorandum of understanding with the North Country Prenatal Perinatal Council and to provide more information about the single audit and personnel actions before votes. "What is this agency providing that other agencies are not providing?" she asked, requesting clarity prior to board action.

Randy Richardson (the record identifies the speaker later in the session) criticized the district’s communication and fiscal oversight and said a parent received a letter quoting a $1,300 fee for a FOIL request. "You cannot charge people for collecting information that is already readily available," he said, calling the fee "not community friendly" and urging the board to investigate. Richardson also flagged repeated audit findings — including reserve accounts lacking policy documentation and grant audit observations from Questar — and warned that unresolved deficiencies increase legal costs.

Superintendent Dr. Larry Schmeagel responded to questions about legal-budget adjustments by saying settlements required expenditures. "We had some settlements that had to go out," he told the board. He also said many audit findings had been discussed previously and that corrective measures are underway for some items.

The single audit was approved by the board, but the public comments recorded at the meeting show residents seeking more proactive communication about audits, reserve accounts, the rationale for shifts in tax collection responsibilities and the handling of FOIL requests. The transcript does not contain a board policy response that resolved the FOIL-fee allegation during the meeting; residents asked the board to follow up.

Next steps: Board members and administrators indicated willingness to provide more information at future meetings and to answer follow-up questions outside the public session.