Flowers in Town and Marbles for Brains

The Ripp Report #26
December 5 2014

Flowers in town and Marbles for Brains

OR: who controls the cost of Fairhope Utilities?

The previous Fairhope city council maintained a check and balance system regarding the city’s finances. That city council supported a Finance Committee and was the first time the citizens of Fairhope actually had a check and balance system and some control over the Mayor and spending. However the city has NEVER had a forensic audit.

Our Mayor has accountants make public presentations to every new council. These accountants will explain how our finances stand and how the books balance. However they base their presentation on the only audit preformed that was on the financial records presented to them. What it does not include is an in depth review: a forensic audit. New Council members said they would do this if elected, however once elected Mayor Tim Kant convinced them it was not necessary.

Fairhope has had two Mayors’ in the last 30 years; but never had a forensic audit. The Mayor has complete control of the utilities. In the last year he has taken 3 million out of utility reserves to settle a lawsuit and pledged another million for a soccer field. If you think this is not impacting your utility bill then you must believe Tim Kant is Santa Claus. Our utilities accounts and billing procedures have not been forensic audited either.

Our current council, convinced by the Mayor, dissolved the finance committee, giving the Mayor complete control of our finances, with no committee oversight. This is an elementary flaw in basic accounting, supported by the City Council.

This is occurring in a city that likes to think of itself as upper crust, more affluent than our neighbors. We have flowers in town and marbles for brains.

We cannot continue to allow one person to make these financial decisions, without serious oversight. This City Council and Mayor has taken us backward in time and proven to be the worst city administration Fairhope has seen in decades. Lawsuits, good ole boy deals and corruption flourishes, while we smell the flowers.

Remember you heard this from the Ripp Report, we project that when a forensic audit of Fairhope Finances and utilities is finally conducted, by a council with the taxpayer’s in mind, you will see mismanagement beyond your wildest imagination.

We need to recruit a viable Mayoral candidate and new council candidates for our next election in 2016.

What we have now is Fauxhope and Nohope and it will not change without the removal of Tim Kant and the current city council.

Paul Ripp