The Town of Highland has released its final forensic accounting review of the clerk’s office, finding nearly $5.4 million in deposits without proper documentation between 2022 and 2024, according to reporting from The River Reporter.
The findings build on a preliminary report released in May, which flagged a $4.5 million discrepancy over a two-year period.
“There isn’t an allegation that money is missing,” said Liam Mayo, news editor of The River Reporter. “But when deposits exceed recorded receipts by millions of dollars, there’s no way to confirm where that money came from — or if anything is missing.”
The review, prepared by Bonadio & Co., LLP, also flagged late bank deposits, overdue revenue filings, and a lack of financial procedures. It recommends the town reconcile missing records and tighten oversight.
Town Clerk Sue Hoffman has stayed quiet, but her attorney blasted the process as political. “This board has taken on the personality of a vigilante rogue mob by creating the illusion of public corruption,” attorney Michael McGuire said during public comment at an August 12 meeting of the Highland Town Board.
The report recommends the town reconcile several years of records and adopt stricter financial procedures. Already, the board has voted to require a secondary signer on all town bank accounts. Additional changes could be discussed at the board’s September 2 workshop meeting, with possible action at its September 9 regular meeting.
Read more at riverreporter.com.
Editor’s Note: This article was corrected on August 19 to clarify that the review of the Clerk’s Office by Bonadio & Co., LLP was not an audit.
Image Credit: Town of Highland