Burlington, Vermont - November 11, 2009
Burlington City Councilors will start designing a plan for an independent audit of the city's financially-troubled cable company, Burlington Telecom.
Monday the city council voted to make public internal communications about a controversial $17 million loan of taxpayer funds to Telecom. See the links below to read those communications.
City councilors say Mayor Bob Kiss, P-Burlington, and treasurer Jonathan Leopold failed to keep them informed about the use of public funds.
The council approved getting an independent audit of Telecom and a special committee met Wednesday evening.
"Well there's no question that Burlington Telecom is a valuable resource to Burlington. And we need to figure out whether or not it is viable, what it will take to make it financially successful, even if its only to break even, but at least that it be financially successful," said Karen Paul, an independent on the Burlington City Council. "I don't know the answer yet."
The committee plans to have the independent financial and management audits completed early next year. Currently about 30 percent of Burlington's 15,000 households are telecom customers.
WCAX News
Read the internal communications about a controversial $17 million loan of taxpayer funds to Burlington Telecom:
Communications Part 1
Communications Part 2
Communications Part 3
Communications Part 4
Communications Part 5
