Monessen may be able to move forward with audit for 2019

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

After months of confusion and suspicion, Monessen seems closer to getting its 2019 audit completed.

Some council officials have said the audit can’t be completed because the city’s former auditor, Cypher and Cypher, continued to hold on to certain documents preventing the current auditor’s work.  

Councilman Don Gregor and Mayor Matt Shorraw have said several times they find it suspicious Cypher and Cypher wouldn’t provide the documents to the new auditing firm, McClure and Wolfe.

At last week’s meeting, Solicitor Tim Witt said he spoke with Steve Cypher of Cypher and Cypher, and the firm planned to get the necessary information to the city soon.

“I spoke with Mr. Cypher and it was a good conversation,” Witt said. “I think there was some miscommunication there.”

Witt said Cypher will start reviewing the request for information and going through the records the company has within the week.

“It’s a busy season for accountants,” Witt said.

McClure and Wolfe was hired during a Dec. 28 meeting. Originally, McClure and Wolfe said the 2019 audit would be complete by April 30, but Shorraw said earlier this month that wasn’t possible because Cypher and Cypher “will not give over the information to McClure and Wolfe to complete the audit.”

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