ROCKLAND, Maine — Old wounds were reopened Thursday night when members of the Rockland area school board debated whether to stick with the current auditor.
In the end, a divided board voted to keep auditor Ron Smith for another year.
The majority of the board rejected a proposal to seek bids for audit services to review the 2014-2015 finances. Board Vice Chairman Loren Andrews argued the auditor played a role in the disciplinary hearing for former business manager Scott Vaitones and provided conflicting financial projections.
Last month, Smith presented his audit for 2013-2014 and said it proved that former Superintendent Lew Collins was correct in his budget projections and that criticisms leveled against him by Vaitones were way off. Vaitones was put on paid leave by Collins and eventually reached an agreement that had him return to his post for the final few months of his contract.
Board member Donald Robishaw Jr. suggested the two St. George representatives abstain from the vote. St. George is withdrawing from Regional School Unit 13 as of July 1, and the school board for that new district hired Vaitones as its interim business manager.
Board Chairman Steve Roberts said the board would be remiss to bring in a new auditor at this time because of the financial complexities associated with St. George separating from RSU 13.
Robishaw said that because of the financial difficulties in the past, the district would pay more if it went out to bid.
“It’s good you have a crystal ball,” board member Carol Bachofner responded.
In the end, the board voted 5-4 to retain Smith for another year. The split on this vote was along the lines when the board was debating the fate of Vaitones a year ago.
Voting to retain the auditor were Roberts, Robishaw, Christine Curtis, Sherman Hoyt and Esther “Tess” Kilgour. Opposing it were Andrews, Bachofner, George Emery and Noreen Mullaney. Mullaney is the only member to have joined the board after the Vaitones and Collins controversy.