Legislators Weigh in on FRHSD Comptroller Report

Following a report citing deficiencies in the spending on outside counsel by the Freehold Regional High School District representatives of the 11th District encouraged the local schools to follow suggestions made by the state.

Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande said they believed it was in the district’s best interests to follow the best practices for legal payments made in the report by the state comptroller’s office. “Given the findings of this investigation, taxpayers have been rightly concerned over the years about the district’s billing practices,” Beck said. “This investigation reveals that taxpayers could have been charged twice for the exact same services and paid the district’s law firm beyond contractual limits. That puts in question the integrity and ability of all those involved.”

Casagrande added, “In July 2011, we corresponded with the Comptroller’s office regarding fiscal questions concerning the district.” She thanked Comptroller Matthew Boxer for his work on the report and urged the district to “implement careful oversight of future billing.”

The report from the comptroller said the district spent a total of $493,414 on outside counsel which went to the law firm of Schwartz, Simon, Edelstein & Celso LLC. The report stated that the board attorney “submitted bills that were non-descriptive and block-billed, making it imposible to determine whether the billed tasks should have been covered under the retainer.”

Another area of concern in the report stated that “Freehold did not comply with requirements of the PSCL by failing to cite supporting reasons in the resolution authorizing the contract award to its Board Attorney.”

Looking at the total picture Angelini said, “Taxpayers who foot the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal work rightfully expect that their money will be spent in an efficient manner.” She added, “The concerns raised in this report illustrate the need for an overhaul of the district’s legal billing practices to ensure that taxpayer monies are properly safeguarded.”

A statement from the district said they have already taken steps to make improvements suggested in the report. The Freehold Regional High School District is committed to efficiently delivering a high quality education to the students of the Western Monmouth County communities that it serves, and strives to continuously improve in all areas of the operation including the subject matter of the Office of the New Jersey State Comptroller’s report ‘An Analysis of Legal Fees Paid by New Jersey Local Governments,’ issued on June 25, 2013.”

The district’s statement added, “The concerns and best practices noted throughout the report have either been addressed or are under consideration as the district develops policies and procedures regarding the procurement, use and management of legal counsel.”

Since the report was started the district has also worked to change its procedures for Requests for Proposals (RFP). “The RFP, which was issued prior to the commencement of the OSC’s review of legal fees, provided qualitative and quantitative measures that served as a basis for identifying the firms that are best suited to deliver the necessary services at a responsible price.”