After a report from the State Department of Education’s Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance leaked last week, who is to blame for the $11.8 million debt in Bayonne?Â
The six-page OFAC report, which is dated October 29, says that although the City of Bayonne says that the board of education owes them $11.8 million for payments made to the School Development Authority.
However, based on the numbers provided in the report, only $8.7 million is accounted for – partially because the city and BOE “conducted numerous transactions based upon verbal agreements.”
In a statement, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis said, in part:
“This confirms what we have been saying all along. For the past several years there was no paper trail kept between the City and Board of Education.”
“This lack of documentation and failure to follow best-practices has caused doubt and concern within our community as to how taxpayers’ money was spent by the City and Board of Education.”
Verbal agreements? Check everyones bank accounts and get a forensic accountants in there.
City made a “claim” (this is crazy) that the BOE owed them 11.8 million? (with no substantial evidential matter). BOE makes a “counter claim” City owes them 6.2 million, same deal. The state with can’t vouch (starting from the financial records down to the source documents) either side. I know why? Who wants to keep records when you are stealing money. This is why we need a forensic audit of the BOE & City Hall. We need proper controls put in place and we need to find all the missing millions & claw them back! The “”Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting” by the Association of School Business Officials International ” is like being a 5 Star Realtor, you buy it. People in Bayonne have to “hope” Law Enforcement gets involved. Generally in Public Worker world you get a pa$$. Broadway is now a shanty town. Why is Bayonne not working? Well when you have to keep paying for the same things over and over again just so the public worker clan and criminal attorneys don’t have to work the system is broken. The system should serve you, you are serving it and this has to stop. Semper Fidelis, Bobby from Bayonne