Cypher& Cypher’s contract is up this year. The Board must decide whether to keep Cypher, the auditor for the past 20 years, or obtain a new auditor to set a fresh set of eyes on FC’s finances.
Board member Jodi McKay voiced that it would be a good idea to look for new auditors. Board member JoAnne Wagner agreed.
Lo and behold, the PDE agrees:
School Finance 101
PA Department of Education
But board members Jamie White and Cindy Gaskill did not agree.
White and Gaskill are happy to keep the status quo. Both praised Cypher’s work at FC.
Let’s review a few things that have occurred under Cypher’s watch:
- FC business manager Paul Sroka commandeered the school’s corporate credit card, making unauthorized personal purchases. To date, the board has not had it confirmed that public funds were not used to pay for Sroka’s purchases.
- In 2010, FC administrators violated school code when they transferred over $700,000 out of the 1432 Capital Reserve account. Instead of instructing the administrators and the board to adhere to school code, Cypher stated publicly that “it didn’t hurt anyone”, made excuses for the administrators, and misidentified the fund in the yearly audit so as to not call attention to the violation.
- Cypher has ignored years of inappropriate coding by Sroka, enabling the administration to misuse public tax dollars for administrative perks.
For that they deserve praise???
Jamie White not only praised Cypher, he went on to state that Cecil Township, pleased with Cypher’s work in the investigation of former police chief John Pushak, renewed Cypher’s contract.
Really, Jamie??? . . .
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Here are the facts:
On January 6, Cecil supervisors approved a new township auditor. That information appeared January 7, 2014, in the Observer:
“During the reorganization meeting, the board approved Hosack, Specht, Muetzel & Wood LLP in Pittsburgh as the new township auditor, replacing Cypher & Cypher Certified Public Accountants in Canonsburg.”
Cypher did not discover the discrepancy in the Cecil Police Department’s finances. According to the December 30, 2013, Observer:
“The investigation began in mid-January when a Cecil Township resident, who asked to remain anonymous, contacted authorities about money potentially missing from the police department’s evidence room.”
As reported in the January 7 Observer:
“Our residents do not trust our local government,” said (Cecil) resident Shirley O’Donnell. “It is vital to restore trust and relieve the concern of our citizens through a forensic audit.”
The same thing applies to FC’s administrators and those who are compensated with our tax dollars to watch over them, like the auditor. This blog has shown time and again that the superintendent and business manager have not been honest with the board. They are not to be trusted. And Cypher, by ignoring the indiscretions of the administration, appears to have lost its independence when dealing with Fort Cherry.
Cypher has been the school auditor for over 20 years, well over the PDE’s recommendation of 5 to 6 years.
It’s time for a new set of eyes on Fort Cherry’s books.
