The November 18, 2025, meeting was a study in contrasts: a significant win for the physical safety of our seniors, followed by a total breakdown in the transparency of our fiscal records.
Progress at the Senior Center
I began my comments on a positive note, thanking the Board for taking action on the Senior Center flooring. After months of advocacy and reports of seniors falling, it is a relief to see this issue finally being addressed. Our seniors deserve a building that is safe and well-maintained, and I am glad to see that message was heard.
The “Photocopy” Problem
The bulk of my testimony, however, focused on the Approval of Accounts. Because the Finance/Audit Committee was sidelined this month by the ongoing audit, I was curious if anyone had actually looked at the 141-page budget report. What I found was baffling:
- Scanned Cash: The public documents included scanned images of physical $5, $10, and $20 bills. It’s an odd choice for a government document and raises immediate questions about professional record-keeping.
- The “Puzzle” Format: The General Ledger report arrived as a series of 22-page “slices”—left, middle, and right sides of a single table. To read one line of data, you would essentially have to tape three pages together.
- The Tax Gap: Our delinquent tax reports currently show only a total balance. I urged the Board to break this down by tax type and age (30/60/90 days) so the public can understand the true state of our collections.
The Board Responds
I was encouraged to hear Supervisor Cullers and Henry echo my frustrations. Supervisor Cullers noted that she personally found the format difficult to navigate, stating, “As much as I like puzzles, I didn’t like this one.” Even more importantly, the Board acknowledged that:
- The reports are not currently “user-friendly.”
- Moving away from rigid PDFs to a more flexible format is a necessary “long-term fix.”
- They will carve out extra time at the December Finance/Audit Committee meeting specifically to address these reporting problems.
Final Thought
Transparency isn’t just about dumping 141 pages of scans onto a website; it’s about providing data that the public and the Board can actually use to make decisions. When reports are fragmented and physical cash is being scanned into the ledger, it suggests a system that is struggling to keep up with modern standards. I’ll be at that December committee meeting to ensure the “puzzles” are replaced with clear, searchable data.
Watch the Discussion
- 0:08 – Thanking the Board for fixing the Senior Center floors.
- 0:25 – Raising the issue of scanned currency in public records.
- 1:12 – Describing the “left, middle, and right” split-page table format.
- 2:33 – Supervisor Cullers admitting the report format is a “puzzle” she didn’t like.
- 3:53 – The Board agreeing to address reporting formats in December.
Transcript (auto-generated)
0:00Hello, my name is Louisis Motton from North River. See the ceiling still falling apart. Um, but thank you for
0:08
8 secondstaking care of the senior center. But there’s also the senior center flooring. I’m I’m glad to hear about the floor.
Chapter 2: Senior Center Lead-up
0:14
14 secondsThings have actually gotten worse. But thank you for taking care of the senior center. That’s really great. But what I want to talk about is the approval of accounts and some of the appropriations.
Chapter 3: Public Comment Continued
0:25
25 secondsUh, I noticed the transfers. For some reason, we’re scanning money. uh and making it public. So, I don’t know about you, but I was told when I was a little
0:33
33 secondskid not to scan money, so it seemed a little odd um to see all the like $25
0:39
39 secondsbills and $10 bills. Um so, nobody was able to approve or look over anything at
0:47
47 secondsthe finance audit committee this month because of the audit. So, I’m just wondering if you guys looked over it because I’m seeing a lot of the same
0:55
55 secondsthings that I brought up before. Um, especially with the fuel report, I see zeros all over the place. I didn’t dig in to see all the other issues I’ve I’ve
1:03
1 minute, 3 secondssent to you before. Um, and then the uh general ledger I’m seeing like it’s
1:12
1 minute, 12 secondssplit. So, the first 22 pages is the left side. The next 22 pages is the middle. Next 22 pages is the the right
1:19
1 minute, 19 secondshand side. So, I don’t know what you guys are doing. If you’re actually looking at this seriously or if you’re just rubber stamping it and saying, “Okay, looks good to me. the finance
1:28
1 minute, 28 secondscommittee probably already looked over it. Something seems odd in the tax report. We just have a balance. There’s
1:34
1 minute, 34 secondsno divvy up of like what type of taxes are due, how many are 30 days late, 60 days late, uh have there been any leans
1:43
1 minute, 43 secondsissued, how many how many mailings are going out, what’s going on with these reports, what’s the usefulness of them?
1:49
1 minute, 49 secondsYou just want to know balance. So, that’s my concerns. And um thank you.
Chapter 4: Appropriations & Transfers
1:56
1 minute, 56 secondsWell, I just want to um say I I agree with Mr. Motton. I was um when I went
2:03
2 minutes, 3 secondsthrough these, I was surprised at the format and I’m
2:10
2 minutes, 10 secondsnot sure I asked why it looked like that and I was told somebody had asked for it to be in Excel or whatever. Um,
2:19
2 minutes, 19 secondsbut I think that will be a longer term fix to to come up with um a better way to handle uh that analysis and maybe get
Chapter 5: Nov 11 Approval of Accounts
2:27
2 minutes, 27 secondsthe reports out of PDF and then into something that’s a little bit more user friendly to work with. Uh I personally
Chapter 6: Appropriations & Transfers Continued
2:34
2 minutes, 34 secondsdon’t like it. It’s like putting trying to put a puzzle together. And as much as I like puzzles, I didn’t like
2:41
2 minutes, 41 secondsthis one. So, um I’m hoping we go back to the the way that we had previously
2:48
2 minutes, 48 secondsbeen giving them. They were much easier to go down and um
2:54
2 minutes, 54 secondsand understand what’s um the person that purchased, what was purchased, and the cost. With this, you
3:03
3 minutes, 3 secondsjust couldn’t do that. So, um,
3:13
3 minutes, 13 secondsany other thoughts before we ask for a motion?
3:22
3 minutes, 22 secondsIt it it’s being new. It is a bit overwhelming. It’s some stuff in there that had me a little u, you know, the money being scanned in and
3:31
3 minutes, 31 secondsstuff like that. I didn’t, you know, seemed a little it it it seemed like there’d be a little better system for Yeah.
3:39
3 minutes, 39 secondsto to go through this a little more without, you know, 141 pages and some of it being not even very legible, you know, the way it was scanned and stuff.
3:53
3 minutes, 53 secondsPerhaps we should um the next finance audit committee meeting. I know the audit is 100% our
4:02
4 minutes, 2 secondsour main mission right now, but we could probably carve out a little extra time, maybe add 20 minutes to the agenda to talk about this too with the Oh, here’s M Scott now.
4:15
4 minutes, 15 secondsThank you, Vice Chair. I had sent an email to the deputy clerk um and the county administrator asking them to send the reformatted files to you all.
4:23
4 minutes, 23 secondsSo, did you all receive those? When was that?
4:28
4 minutes, 28 secondsI believe it was
4:35
4 minutes, 35 secondsUm, sorry. I sent that Friday at approximately, it’s not telling me a time, but Friday.
4:45
4 minutes, 45 secondsIt was the fuel report, the expenditure report, the AP report, and the October PC card report. So, it was sent on Friday. Yes.
4:59
4 minutes, 59 secondsYeah. And I I do see that accounts in PDF and Excel. So, um I don’t know if everyone’s had a chance to look at that.
5:07
5 minutes, 7 secondsUh um but that would have been both ways, right?
5:13
5 minutes, 13 secondsThat’s it was a fuel report, an Excel sheet. It’s a fuel report. And
5:21
5 minutes, 21 secondsthen there’s this, which is a two-page revenue and expenditure summary. So that’s that’s not related to the 141
5:29
5 minutes, 29 secondspage um counts that we’re talking about
5:38
5 minutes, 38 secondswhich is titled November 2025 BAFS.
5:43
5 minutes, 43 secondsThat’s the item right now that you’re voting on is the appropriations and transfers. Right.
5:50
5 minutes, 50 secondsYeah. Those those were like they normally are, right? That’s all that’s what we’re that’s what the current uh that’s what we’re doing now.
5:59
5 minutes, 59 secondsYeah.
5:59
5 minutes, 59 secondsSo, were were your was your comment in reference to this two-page?
6:06
6 minutes, 6 secondsNo, this one um the reason we have this is because there was an a formula error that was corrected in this
6:14
6 minutes, 14 secondsbut I mean when you were talking about a change were were you referring to this to the 140 page document under approval of accounts which Mr.
6:23
6 minutes, 23 secondsMotton was talking about those are all different.
6:26
6 minutes, 26 secondsOkay, I see what you mean. But so that’s what I was making reference item F. Yep.
6:35
6 minutes, 35 secondsSo just to clarify, we’re on item F, not item That’s correct. We’re on the appropriations and transfers right now.
6:40
6 minutes, 40 secondsNo, I was just making a general comment in reference to what he said. Um,
6:50
6 minutes, 50 secondslet’s, um, let’s focus in on item F, the appropriations and transfers. So, uh, are there any comments on that or do I have a motion?
7:01
7 minutes, 1 secondI move to accept the motions, uh, um, appropriations and transfers as presented. Is there a second?
7:08
7 minutes, 8 secondsSecond. Roll call, please. Mrs. Cullers.
7:13
7 minutes, 13 secondsHi, Mr. Stanmire. Hi. Dr. Jameson. Hi.
7:16
7 minutes, 16 secondsMr. Henry I and back to the uh approval of accounts. Do we have further discussion on that?
Chapter 7: Approval of Accounts
7:25
7 minutes, 25 secondsWell, the only thing thing I want to point out for anyone who’s actually looking at these documents online um is that there there was a an a
7:34
7 minutes, 34 secondsmistake in the one that was posted on the agenda. So at least on the dice we have a corrected version. Do you want to address that real quick?
7:45
7 minutes, 45 secondsThank you, Dr. Jameson. Yes. On the DIS, you have a corrected expenditure summary.
7:52
7 minutes, 52 secondsOkay. So, anyone who wants to to get that will have to make a request, I guess, to No, it will be published with the Oh, it’ll be on it’ll be on the agenda. Okay.
8:00
8 minutesAs well as the uh contract that you’ll be taking a look at later. Okay. Good. Thank you.
8:03
8 minutes, 3 secondsAnd the reformatted report should also be available once the agenda is posted or once the minutes are posted.
8:15
8 minutes, 15 secondsThank you. Are there any other questions for Miss Scott? Not for me.
8:25
8 minutes, 25 secondsAnd do I have an emo a motion on the approval of accounts?
8:30
8 minutes, 30 secondsI move to approve the accounts as presented. Second. Roll call, please.
8:38
8 minutes, 38 secondsMr. Henry. I. Dr. Jameson. Hi. Mr. Stanmer. Hi. Mrs. Cullers. No.
8:46
8 minutes, 46 secondsOkay.
