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An open, independent audit of Fairfield's town operations is in the works as First Selectman Kenneth Flatto and other officials struggle to tighten the budget. Flatto said at a press conference yesterday that he hopes the audit, which will cost an estimated $50,000, will uncover ways to save money by making the town's operations more efficient.
"We've really streamlined every budget already," said Flatto, adding that he did not want to estimate how much could be saved. "In my personal opinion, we should be able to find some savings, but a guess would be hard to find. It's too early to judge."
The town will begin accepting professional service contract bids today on its website, with a deadline of July 5. The $50,000 for the audit has already been approved by the Board of Finance and Representative Town Meeting. Flatto said there could be some leeway if bids from auditing firms come in higher.
The audit will look only at town operations, though Flatto and Board of Finance Chairman Tom Flynn both said they hope the Board of Education will join with them. According to Board of Education member Pam Iacono, the school board will also conduct an audit, in addition to the operations audit, and has also set aside $50,00 to do so.
Flatto said he hopes the town's audit will be completed by Thanksgiving, leaving the town enough time to use the findings in preparing the 2011-12 budget.
He said a commission will be established that includes members from different town boards, his office and the town's financial office to assist with the audit, although it will not tell the auditor what to do.
Flynn said the Board of Finance wants to make sure the audit produces usable findings.
"We want to give full and unfettered access to our operations," Flynn said, speaking on behalf of the majority of the finance board. "There will be no sacred cows, no off-limit items."
This will be the first operations audit the town has conducted since the 1990s, when former First Selectman Paul Audley conducted one. Audley's review resulted in savings from having the Board of Education and the town do joint purchasing and from computerizing town operations. An audit was also conducted in the 1980s.
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