PRESS RELEASE - Mayor Hires ARPA Administrator and Calls For Independent Forensic Investigation
Published on February 18, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18th, 2022
Contact: socialmedia@upperdarby.org
Mayor Keffer Announces Independent Forensic Investigation, ARPA Administrator, & Plan to Move Upper Darby Forward
Top National Accounting Firms Marcum LLP, UHY Advisors, Join Forces with Upper Darby & Well-Respected Regional Firm Brinker Simpson to Provide Financial Certainty & Security Moving Forward
UPPER DARBY, PA: Today, Mayor Keffer announces the engagement of both an independent, third party forensic accountant through Marcum LLP, a top national CPA (Certified Public Accountant) firm specializing in tax, audit & advisory services and ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) Administrator Services from UHY Advisors Inc. – another top national CPA firm with extensive experience in Rescue Plan administration – to oversee the spending of ARPA funds awarded to Upper Darby.
“We are very happy to be working with these nationally respected and trusted firms to give our taxpayers confidence in how their hard earned money is being handled and invested. I want to state again that my administration is dedicated to upholding the principles of transparency and that we have nothing to hide from the public or council despite the recent outrageous allegations,” Mayor Keffer said. “We’ve engaged these independent financial services in order to further guarantee that the Rescue Plan money allocated for Upper Darby is accounted for in full and will be very carefully stewarded and invested in our community going forward. Keffer continued, “This pandemic has caused a lot of people a lot of hardship and this money is there to help everyone rebound and bounce back. This is no time for political games and this opportunity for historic investment shouldn’t be held hostage for any reason. We need to get the politics out of this situation immediately so that we can get the money invested in our employees and our community as soon as possible.”
Mayor Keffer made the decision to engage one of the top CPA firms in the world, Marcum LLP, to provide the public and Council absolute assurances that the ARPA funding was handled appropriately and is intact. This decision was made as one of three parts in a plan implemented by Upper Darby Township to address public concerns arising from politically charged accusations from some on Council about it’s financial operations.
What happened in the past- Marcum LLP has been engaged and will deliver a forensic audit/analysis for the public and Council regarding the management and accounting of ARPA funds disbursed to Upper Darby.
What will happen going forward- UHY Advisors Inc. will administer the initial disbursement of $20.8 million to ensure compliance with the “Final Rule” issued by the U.S Department of the Treasury governing the handling and disbursement of the funding.
Daily finance operations- Brinker Simpson and Company LLC., a well-respected regional accounting firm based in Springfield, PA - will be contracted to provide services and oversight related to cash management, budget compliance, and day-to-day operations.
In regards to the services contracted from Brinker Simpson, CAO Rongione stated, “We had gotten very close in the Finance Director search to a highly qualified applicant, unfortunately because the working environment has become so publicly toxic, we were not able to retain that individual, and we had to look for another route to provide those services. That said, we are very happy to have three independent, very well respected firms coming on board to provide our residents absolute certainty that their hard-earned tax dollars are being handled and spent properly.” Rongione continued, “Independence is the key here to providing the public confidence. If what you are really concerned about is the truth of the matter and the proper handling of the funding then let the independent professionals do their work and keep your personal political agenda out of it. That is what is best for the residents and that is what they want and deserve.”
The Mayor reiterated that her administration remains dedicated to revitalizing and reinvesting in Upper Darby. “We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the ARPA funding is handled with care and properly allocated. We have done that so far but are engaging with UHY to keep future funds from being politicized in a similar manner. This money is time sensitive, it’s imperative that Council approves this budget so that the Township can get projects like sewer restoration and grants for small businesses and nonprofits, COVID bonus pay for employees, and our $1 million towards gun violence prevention underway as soon as possible.”
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