BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer
HOWELL — An audit of the Planning Board’s planner by the town’s chief financial officer has disclosed no evidence of any wrongdoing.
The audit followed public accusations of double billing made by former Republican mayor Suzanne Veitengruber.
Veitengruber said she reviewed four bills submitted by planner Thomas Sheehan, of the Sheehan Consulting Group, Sayreville, that had been given to her by Planning Board member Robert Trento.
Veitengruber told members of the Township Council at their Sept. 15 meeting that two of the four bills she reviewed contained evidence of "double billing."
Jeffrey Filiatreault, Howell’s deputy manager/chief financial officer, conducted the audit which showed no improprieties.
According to a memo from Filiatreault to Township Manager Bruce Davis, "In the conduct of this audit I discovered the following items that were out of the ordinary.
"Invoice 09380 had a fax copy in the files that was requested by the township purchasing agent during a discussion with Mr. Sheehan’s office as to whether this $80 bill had been paid. The finance procedures detected the duplicate prior to any payment being made. The bill was paid only once.
"Invoice 09476 was a multiple-page invoice totaling $12,498.75. The finance staff verified that the bill added to $11,783.75. That amount was verified with Mr. Sheehan’s bookkeeper and it was disclosed to be an addition error. Only the correct amount of $11,783.75 was paid," Filiatreault wrote.
Speaking after the audit was completed, Mayor Timothy J. Konopka said, "We heard their concerns and we immediately ordered an audit and it was completed." He said the audit disclosed "no impropriety."
"There was a minor discrepancy and it was fixed," the mayor said.
Konopka said once the time was taken to look over the records, what had occurred became apparent.
Said Konopka, who is the lone Democrat on the council, "I’m angry because clearly, this was orchestrated. What they did was take a man in the business for 34 years, a consummate professional, and did a character assassination."
Planning Board Chairwoman Pauline Smith said she was not surprised by the outcome of the audit.
Smith, who also served a term on the municipal governing body, said she has always taken the time to peruse any bills submitted for the board’s approval. She said she has caught billing discrepancies submitted by professionals who have worked for the board in the past.
"Having caught past discrepancies, I am confident I would have caught them this time," Smith said.
However, she said, in the end it is Filiatreault’s responsibility to ensure fiscal accountability.
"We [the board] OK the bills submitted, but as chief financial officer, it is Jeff who should be the one to show us the way when it comes to financial propriety."
Regarding the statements made by Veitengruber at the Sept. 15 council meeting, Filiatreault noted that the bills in question were given to him by Trento even though as a certified finance officer herself, Veitengruber has a statutory obligation to report any suspected fiscal impropriety.