Niles mayor welcomes state probe

By Jordan Cohen | October 16, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

NILES

Mayor Ralph Infante said he is not worried about the appearance Tuesday of a special investigative unit from the state auditor’s office as part of the ongoing financial audit of the city.

In fact, the mayor said Wednesday he welcomes it.

“They’ve been here [at city hall] all the time and it’s not a concern for me because I’m the one who asked for the financial, performance and physical audits,” Infante said.

“They’re looking into the records of anyone in any department who collects money.”

According to the state auditor’s website, the investigative unit is called in to investigate possible fraud.

Infante said the team looked at the records of his secretary but that he did not know if the team took any documents from her files.

“They didn’t search my office, and they certainly didn’t take anything like a computer,” the mayor said.

“As far as I’m concerned, they are everywhere they need to be, and I hope it continues,” Infante said.

“People need to know their tax dollars are being guarded.”

Last week, state Auditor Dave Yost placed Niles under fiscal emergency because of huge deficits, particularly in the city’s water fund.

The order means the city will have to answer to a fiscal oversight commission in making its financial decisions.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, Robert Marino, council president, announced that Sharon Hanrahan has been appointed to head the oversight body for Niles.

Hanrahan’s biographical information describes her as a financial planning administrator from the state office of budget and management.

“We have 30 days to send five names to the governor and he will pick three of them to serve on the commission,” Infante said.

The mayor said he expects the selection process to be completed by mid-November.

In the meantime, council has begun implementing Yost’s recommendations in a recently released performance audit to tighten up finances and help the city save money.

In the largest action, the light department, which owed $1 million of a $1.5 million loan from the financially strapped general fund, repaid the entire balance.

“I think we’ve implemented around 16 items the auditor suggested,” Infante said. “This is how we’re getting our finances in order.”