LAWRENCE CO. COMMISSIONERS Possible cost of expanded audit concerns panel

The county already paid $40,000 for an audit covering one quarter of the year in question.
By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County commissioners say they have not decided whether to expand the scope of a forensic audit that resulted in criminal charges' being filed against the county treasurer last week.
Commissioners, at their weekly public meeting Tuesday, reiterated they cannot discount the cost of such a move and reported they have asked for an itemized bill from Packer Thomas, the New Castle firm the county paid to audit the county's finances.
Commissioner Chairman Dan Vogler said he is hopeful a detailed bill will give commissioners a better understanding of what an extended forensic audit might cost the county.
Last week, after criminal charges were filed against county Treasurer Gary Felasco accusing him of stealing taxpayer dollars, county District Attorney Matthew Mangino asked commissioners for a full audit of the county's finances covering the past four years. But Commissioner Chairman Dan Vogler said Tuesday commissioners had not had a chance to discuss the matter.
Concerned about cost
"I appreciate the district attorney's thinking," Vogler said. "He wants to see if more money has been taken than what has already been identified. But, as commissioners, our first reaction to anything is to ask what it will cost. I think that's an appropriate response."
The county paid Packer Thomas about $40,000 for an audit covering the last quarter of 2003. The criminal charges against Felasco are based on three months in late 2003.
Mangino has asked the county to expand the audit to include the entire 49 months when Felasco was in charge of the county tax claim bureau.
Felasco is charged with theft and embezzlement, among other crimes, and is accused of stealing more than $40,000 from the treasurer's office. According to court papers, he took money from cash payments taxpayers made to his office, and deleted those taxpayers' names when they showed up as not having paid their bills on the county tax rolls.
Commissioners removed him from his appointed position as county tax claim bureau director in March 2004 when it was discovered he had not paid property taxes on his Cunningham Avenue home since 2000 -- the same year he became tax claim director.
Vogler said he has asked Packer Thomas what it might cost the county to broaden the scope of the original audit to cover additional periods of time. "What we receive from them could determine what we decide," he said. "We need to look at how whether it would be of value to do this."
Clerk's replacement
In other matters, commissioners said they hope to appoint a replacement for Charleen Micco, chief county clerk/administrator, by next week. Micco, who is retiring, set Friday as her last official day on the job, but said she will stay on a little longer if necessary.