Resident presses Litchfield board to probe Region 20 audit; board weighs observer for BOE talks

Matt Tobin, a resident who spoke during public comment, urged the Litchfield Board of Finance to withhold assent for another year of payments to Region 20 pending a closer review of the district’s audit. "They included three 1/10 payments of the $1.7 million," Tobin said, arguing that invoices appeared to show partial accounting and that payroll payments were missing even though personnel costs accounted for roughly $1.6 million of a $3 million overage. He called the invoices "not very credible."

Chairman Sam Olmstead told the board he had not heard whether Region 20 would reconvene its Finance Committee to review the audit and agreed it would be a good idea for Litchfield to follow developments. First Selectman Denise Raap said she is waiting to hear from the other three towns about whether they will pursue a coordinated internal forensic audit; Dr. Villar had suggested coordinating a review with towns in Region 6 to reach a collective conclusion.

The board also discussed a 5/29/26 letter from Dr. Villar about upcoming Board of Education negotiations and the statutory right of each town to name a non-participating observer to those talks under CGS Sec. 10-153d(a). Olmstead said he would not serve as Litchfield’s observer because his wife is a member of the teachers’ bargaining unit and that he hopes to appoint a representative at the board’s next meeting.

No formal forensic audit was authorized at the June 8 meeting; Olmstead and Raap said they are awaiting responses from other towns and will report back. Tobin said he plans to raise related concerns at the Region 20 public comment period as well.