CHARLOTTE, Vt. -
An independent auditor says they have found funds initially thought to be missing from Charlotte's Fire and Ambulance services.
The audit team found no indication of fraud in reviewing five years of patient billing records, but did find major financial control issues. It says poor accounting practices led to the confusion surrounding missing funds.
Auditors, the select board and department leaders are in the process of finalizing the recent report which is currently in draft form.
"Overall we found no irregular activity, just some weaknesses in internal control which need to be addressed and fixed. We've put together a strong letter of recommendation to fire and rescue, and the town," said Town Auditor Bonnie Batchelder.
The auditor says Charlotte needs to improve approval processes, follow standard accounting procedures and become more involved with third party medical billing.
The board is expected to review a final draft with auditors next week, at which point the document will become public.
