Our Town:
Mysterious accounting in Abington
To the editor of The Enterprise:
The inspector general's investigation is closed, but tax dollars received by the
Abington Board of Health are still not accounted.
The Massachusetts inspector general's office issued a report on June 2, on the
handling of tax dollars by the Abington Board of Health. You can read the report at
http://www.mass.gov/ig/publ/abington.pdf. The money is missing and still not
accounted.
The report states "...at least 788 propane tanks were recycled by the town. For
this same period we only found $66 (all in checks) transferred to the town treasury
from the BOH for what was documented as propane tank recycling fees. This $66
transfer related to only 22 propane tanks." Where is the $2,300 for the other 766
tanks? The BOH charges residents a fee of $3 for each tank.
There are also thousands of tax dollars from rabies clinics not accounted.
The Mass. General Law Chapter 44 Section 53 requires "all moneys received ...
shall be paid ... into the... treasury." There are no documents to prove the subject
tax dollars have been deposited in the town treasury.
The Board of Health send a letter to the inspector general dated Sept. 13 Board
of Health meeting. No one present at the meeting including the health agent was
able to provide any documentation to support the statements made in the press
that the money was accounted for.
Recently, there have been some new documents developed from the Board of
Health, but if they had any validity the inspector general's report would have been
revised. The inspector general stands by the unbiased June 9 report which was
written by a CPA.
There are now some town officials remaking a closing scene of the Wizard of
Oz. The Wizard of Oz said, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." They
are saying, "pay no attention to the fact your tax dollars are not accounted.
The inspector general closed his investigation but the subject tax dollars are still
not accounted.
WILLIAM CREIGHTON
Abington Board of Health
Published Nov. 16, 2006
