Financial audit good for city

The Philadelphia Mayor and Board of Aldermen received the fiscal year 2020-2021 audit during last Tuesday’s meeting.

The audit report was presented by the Windham & Lacey auditing firm of Pearl. There were no significant findings, officials said.

On a motion made by Ward 1 alderman Justin Clearman and seconded by Ward 3 Alderman James Tatum, the board voted unanimously  to accept the audit.

Aldermen learned in September 2021 that the city had not completed an audit since Fiscal Year 2017.

Windham and Lacey, PLLC, was hired in October 2021 to catch the city up. The firm is now working on the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 audit.

“Everything was in place with this audit and we were glad to hear that,” said Mayor James Young. “We are now current with our audits.”

In other matters, aldermen voted to:

• Approve a motion to hire Jerry Smith as lowest quote to cut the grass at the old U.S. Motors building and the bypass. The motion was unanimously approved;

• Approve motion to pay Stokes Technologies’ invoice totaling $1,095 for work at Booker T. Gym out of the Bond B fund. The motion was unanimously approved;    

• Approve motion to pay Allen Engineering invoices totaling $6,272 and $4,008 for work on the Airport Lighting Improvement Project. The motion was unanimously approved;

• Approve a motion to pay Allen & Hoshall invoice for $1,500 for services related to Viking Metals. The motion was unanimously approved;

• Approve a motion to pay Twin States Flooring Installation invoice  for $4,000 for installing flooring at Westside Community Center out of the Bond B fund. The motion was unanimously approved.

• Approve a motion to advertise for Miss Hospitality in support of Kara Daly for ½ page at $175. The motion was unanimously approved.

• Approve a motion to hire Kaden Schlegel for the Street Department at $10 per hour. The motion was unanimously;

• Approve a motion to rezone 385 Jerico Street from R1 to R3. Following a public hearing, the motion was unanimously approved;

• Approve a motion to pay the District Attorney’s Office $1,163.60 as court ordered out of the Seized Money Account. The motion was unanimously approved;

• Approve a motion to hire John Lilley with the Police Department as staff sergeant. The motion was unanimously approved.

• Approved a motion to hire James Hancock with the Police Department as a reserve officer. The motion was unanimously approved;

• Approve a motion to accept the resignation of Jonathan Alford from the Fire Department. The motion was unanimously approved.

• Approve a motion to purchase 5 goggles for the Fire Department from TNVC Inc. in the amount of $21,015, reimbursable by a taskforce grant. The motion was unanimously approved; and,

• Approve a motion to hire Parker McWhirter as probationary firefighter/EMT.

The board went into executive session to discuss a legal matter without taking action and then adjourned.