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To read
Heidcamp's response to The Post
Star, click
here
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January
25, 2007
To the Editor,
Over the past year, I have intentionally avoided
answering numerous innuendoes and accusations made
by your reporter, George Heidcamp, in articles
printed in your publication. I just didn't have the
time to become pen pals with George as running the
district occupies most of my time. In his
commentaries, the Saugerties Attack Dog has
artfully mixed one-third fact, woven it with
two-thirds fiction, and then passed it off as 100%
truth. He has maligned board members and school
administrators, misrepresented actions of the
district and its staff and, in general, done
everthing possible to cast suspicion and damage the
reputation of the district, as well as of those
individuals named in his column. I know that most
people regard these articles with a large degree of
skepticism, but, nevertheless, some of his recent
reporting needs to be addressed so that your
readers can, as Paul Harvey always said,
"…hear the rest of the story."
It would take much too much space to print the
district's response to the state comptroller's
audit that was recently highlighted by George;
however, if you or any of your readers would like a
copy, it can be obtained by calling 247-6551; or if
you would like to print it, it can be accessed by
going to the district's website
(www.saugerties.k12.ny.us). Your readers may also
read a more balanced article on this subject in the
Friday, January 5th edition of the Daily Freeman. I
am also having printed, at my own cost, the
district's legal counsel's opinion on the validity
of a $160 reimbursement claim I submitted for a
conference in Boston. Any reasonable person would
have to acknowledge that the action taken was not
only contractually permissible byt also fiscally
prudent.
In fact, out of hundreds of possibilities in a
$45 million dollar budget, the state auditor only
found a half dozen areas that were recommended for
improvement. A few of these deficiencies were
long-standing and most were never cited in prior
audits. This is not unusual in that auditors'
recommendations will sometimes conflict with that
of other auditors, as well as legal opinion.
Finally, the Saugerties community needs to know
that it was this superintendent and this board of
education, under the then leadership of Board
President Vince Buono, who over two years ago
decided to take the steps necessary to more
diligently oversee the fiscal operations of the
school district. This resulted first in the hiring
of a full-time business administrator after having
over a dozen different part-time individuals assume
that role over the prior ten years, secondly, by
recommending a change of our regular audit firm,
and finally, by beginning to address areas of
concern identified to the Board way before the
state auditor entered the district.
This district has taken significant steps to
review its fiscal operations and will continue to
do so. As in all audits, there are always areas
that are recommended for improvement. In a district
where the business office has been somewhat
neglected, the good news is that, with a few
exceptions, the operational procedures are in order
and its finances properly accounted for. The
district will review the recommendations made and
will make the appropriate corrections.
Sincerely,
Richard R. Rhau
Superintendent of Schools
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