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Resident presses Lewisburg council over 2023 audit, alleges $6 million error and seeks quick public answers
Summary
At the May 12 meeting, resident Ray Staff recounted 12 audit findings — nine listed as material weaknesses — and alleged a $6 million duplication error in utility funds, urging the council to post audit materials online, redirect grant-writer funds to an audit consultant, and hold a work session before June 30.
Ray Staff, a Lewisburg resident who said he spent 32 years in the Navy, used the town council’s public-comment period to press elected leaders for answers about the town’s finances and recent audits. He told the council the 2023 audit produced "12 formal findings, nine of which were material weaknesses," and he said the town discovered "a $6 million duplication error in our utility funds." He urged the council to provide written responses to six formal questions and asked for a public work session before June 30 to address the audit findings.
Staff framed the problem as both legal and practical, noting auditors flagged a material weakness related to federal American Rescue Plan Act reporting and warning that a failed federal audit could trigger a federal "clawback" of grant funds. He criticized reliance on outside accounting for longstanding problems and called the town's $48,000-per-year contract for grant writing "speculative spending," urging the council instead to use those funds to hire a retired chief financial officer or audit consultant to guide the town through state and federal reviews. "That money should be redirected toward hiring a retired CFO or audit consultant," he said.
The council acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns and reiterated that the FY2023–24 audit is underway. Town staff and council members described an active process to gather documentation for auditors and that outside consulting support has been engaged to assist the finance function. Council discussion noted that PB Maris (the town’s auditor) had requested roughly 19 categories of documentation needed to complete their work and that completion timelines could be affected by the State Auditor’s review.
Why this matters: Staff warned that unresolved audit findings could put federal funds at risk and increase costs to taxpayers, and he pressed for transparency measures — posting monthly financials and audit correspondence online and making audit progress a standing agenda item so citizens who cannot attend meetings can monitor the recovery process.
Next steps: Ray Staff asked the council to address his six questions publicly at the next meeting or in a special work session; council members said staff would provide additional information and that the town is cooperating with auditors and the State Auditor’s office.
