By Darrell Halen
Staff Writer
After collecting and evaluating
bids for auditing services,
Windham officials are sticking
with the auditor they have been
been using.
During their Oct. 30 meeting,
Windham selectmen voted unanimously
to award a three-year
contract to Vachon, Clukay and
Co. of Manchester.
The company bid to audit
the town’s books for $9,875 in
the first year, $9,953 the following
year, and $9,920 in the third
year. It budgeted 109 hours to do
the job annually.
Their costs were less than
half of those of another firm selectmen
considered. Melanson
Heath & Co. of Nashua bid to do
the job for $21,000 for each of
three years. The company budgeted
230 hours to do their work
each year.
Assistant Town Administrator
Dana Call recommended that
the town continue working with
the Vachon firm. Although the
Melanson’s approach at the job
provides some benefits, she and
Town Administrator David Sullivan
are comfortable using Vachon
and can’t justify spending
twice as much money to use the
other firm, she said.
“We don’t have any concerns with (them),” Call said. “We feel
they do an appropriate audit.”
Selectman Alan Carpenter
said he found answers provided
by Vachon during a previous presentation
to be vague. Selectman
Galen Stearns suggested having
the people who conducted future
audits, rather than the company’s
owner, come before selectmen to
answer questions.
Three firms responded when
the town put auditing services
out to bid.
Prior to the meeting, Call and
Sullivan narrowed the list down
to two firms and interviewed
them after opening technical
proposals.
The other bidder was James
A. George of Boston, which bid
$8,000 to do the job each year.
The company does not have any
municipal clients and was eliminated
from consideration, according
to Call.