Date: Fri 16-Feb-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

HVCEO-Tourism-audit

Full Text:

Proposed Audit Would Examine Tourism Spending

Area officials are slated to decide on Friday, February 16, whether to

recommend that the finance directors of Newtown and Danbury oversee a detailed

audit of the tourism agency whose executive director has been accused of

mismanagement.

The Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials (HVCEO), which represents

nine towns in the greater Danbury area, is expected to vote on a proposal to

have Danbury Finance Director Dominic Setaro and Newtown Finance Director

Benjamin Spragg oversee a detailed audit of the financial records of the

Housatonic Valley Tourism District.

The proposal was made by a HVCEO subcommittee formed to investigate

allegations by the tourism agency treasurer, Joseph Ribeiro. Mr Ribeiro

alleged two months ago that the agency's longtime executive director, Margaret

Gagnon, had mismanaged the agency's funds.

The HVCEO subcommittee, composed of Newtown First Selectman Bob Cascella,

Danbury Mayor Gene Eriquez and Bridgewater First Selectman William Stuart,

already voted to have the two municipal financial directors develop the

necessary guidelines to select an auditor. This recommendation will go before

the full HVCEO for its decision. The tourism district commission will have the

final say, however.

Once the audit is completed, the subcommittee wants the two financial

directors to review it and make recommendations on how to implement stronger

internal accounting controls.

The district is slated to receive $627,000 this year, its portion of the state

lodging tax collected by hotels and inns. The money is used to promote tourism

through the Housatonic Valley area which encompasses Bethel, Bridgewater,

Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield and Sherman.

Most of the money is used to publish brochures and guides and do other types

of advertising.