Almont DDA asks council for financial transparency

ALMONT — Almont Downtown Development Authority President Hollie Miller and Treasurer Scott White attended the Sept. 1 village council meeting to air concerns the group has over financial record keeping. 

The DDA is claiming there are discrepancies with its finances, which are currently held by the village.

“We have made repeated attempts to the village staff for our financial records and reports and have met with staff saying they don’t have time to do that,” Miller told council. “We are looking for transparency. There is a pattern of issues, accounts don’t reconcile and we have requested answers and received none.”

Miller also claimed the amount of time spent with repeated requests for records and other documents has been exhausting. 

“We need to be confident in our finances and records which we are ultimately responsible for,” she said. 

According to Miller, there are nine months worth of incomplete financial records belonging to the DDA.

“We want to maintain the relationship we have built with the village. We don’t want to sever the relationship with the village, but this isn’t working and we need to do something,” she said. 

She hinted that the DDA could take over its own financial record keeping.

White, who has extensive experience in the financial world said: “We want to establish a depository account. We need monthly reports for our meetings, on our revenues, expenditures and a check registry report.”

Miller reminded the council that, while the DDA hopes to resolve the issue with the village, “there are steps to take to correct this and we don’t need council permission.”

“We have the right and the authority to maintain our own financial records. We don’t want the extra work. But, we want to have faith in what is happening with our funds and we are responsible for them,” she said.

White agreed.

“We need to fix this problem. There is a lack of information that is not getting to us. We asked for the June financials and did not receive them. Then we had to ask for June and July at the August meeting and finally got the June reports. Can you please direct your staff to get us what we need to approve our financials?” he said.

Following the presentation, Village Manager Dale Kerbyson spoke to the council. 

“We asked for a meeting with the DDA and this is exactly what I wanted to discuss. It’s disingenuous to come in here and say we are not providing information in a timely manner so that their work can be conducted when in fact, their work has been conducted.” 

Kerbyson said there have been no actual delays.

“Maybe the final review of the financial detail hasn’t been executed yet, but there is no delay in anything,” he said. “Bills have been paid. Work has been done and equipment ordered. That’s all happening instantaneously.”

Kerbyson said he felt the DDA is “calling into question our financial capabilities and our credibility. I’m simply pointing out a symptom that’s been going on for months where we take something and exaggerate it.”

The village manager later said he thought the notion of the DDA doing its own financials “is excellent.” 

“Taking this on and handling this all on their own. It would be a perfect solution and then they can be confident in the invoices and bills they are paying,” he said. “We have an audit coming up and I’d love to hear what the auditor says about our handling of the DDA money.”

“I think it is inappropriate to come in here and imply that work and things are not being done because accounting is slow or reconciling isn’t up to date. This isn’t a new issue.”

Other business

• Kerbyson said there are ongoing issues with the current hauler for trash removal. “Things are not being taken care of again as recently as last weekend,” he said. It was bundled yard waste, regular trash bags and more. We have shared our concerns and put them on notice. Their contract expires in December. We are going to move forward with [requests for proposals] and hopefully get some bids from other companies who might want to service the village as they should be.”
• Kerbyson said he has instructed inspectors to visit a property on the south end of town that may be in violation of village ordinances regarding building, electrical and zoning issues. “We are making progress at The Mill in Almont, Michigan,” Vets Returning Home posted on its Facebook page on Jan. 6. The organization is a Michigan registered nonprofit supporting homeless veterans in crisis, according to its website. “Step inside this beautiful historic building with us to see how the restoration is coming along. We can’t wait to show you how this space will soon become the main location for the Operation Purpose Reboot workshops and the Veterans Retreat. The retreat and workshops will be free to all veterans.” Village officials say no permits have been pulled for any restoration work, despite the restoration project moving forward. Kerbyson hopes to have an update for the council at the next meeting, which was scheduled for Sept. 15.