HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -
The financial numbers are in for the city of Harrisburg, even though we should have had them two years ago.
The city has finally released 2009's audit. Mayor Linda Thompson said it shows a lot of the economic problems she inherited from former mayor Stephen Reed, including a deficit of more than $200 million.
"Pay raises were given in the height of the financial crisis. They delayed paying $4 million in bills, yet they gave themselves pay raises," Thompson said Wednesday.
Members of City Council said the financial crisis is no excuse for the audit coming in so late.
"It's absolutely ridiculous that it's taken this long, regardless of the findings inside," council member Brad Koplinski said. "Really the issue is this should have been completed years ago."
Without the audit, Koplinski says the city has been missing out on state and federal assistance.
"I know this is something that has been coming from City Council, that the audits are delaying us from getting money. Our federal government has been here kicking the tires and lifting up the hood. The grant money is here," Thompson said.
But Koplinski added, "The funds that were supposed to be issued and allocated for community organizations through federal block grants that were approved last year still have not been put out."
Koplinski said that's just one in a long line of deadlines that have come and gone.
"It shows the administration is incompetent," he said. "It's not getting the things done it needs to get done to make this city work."
So why should you care this audit is finished? Mayor Thompson said, "it gives us a clearer picture of where we are. It shows what happened then and what we need to do to move forward."
One of the mayor's goals moving forward is to beef up police presence in the city. She hopes to hire eight new officers.
Now that the 2009 audit is finished, there's still more work to be done. Both the 2010 and 2011 audits are past due. The state brought in a team to help, including six accountants.
The audit can be found at www.abc27.com/link/575756/harrisburg-audit.
