When Christopher St. Lawrence was Juggling the Books

Yesterday, the Ramapo Town Board released its proposed budget for 2018. To create a sound budgetary forecast, you need accurate numbers on the current fiscal state of Town’s finances. But the last set of complete numbers that now exist are the very same fraudulent figures that are sending the past Supervisor to federal prison and the finance and legal director to court facing SEC charges. A budget requires reliable information, not the felony-tainted figures that inspired the State Comptroller to classify Ramapo as “fiscally stressed.” A current, clean audit would help,  but the board and temporary supervisor say the current audit, and the one for the year before that, aren’t done yet. We know that because the interim supervisor has now said they won’t be ready until late November—that is, you’re not going to see the real picture until after the election is over. But you can come to the public meeting before those audits see daylight, and discuss the current budget. Anybody else smell something untoward here? [Read more…]