To The Telegram:
Moral courage is concerned with defending values. It is the quality of mind and spirit that causes one to confront ethical dilemmas and perceived wrongdoings. Moral courage often poses the risk of personal emotional harm, malicious damage to private property, and negative public opposition.
You may have read my previous letters and wonder "who is this person?" I was born and raised in Wascott. After college, I served in Wisconsin county government for 32 years, in administrative and then management positions. When I retired and moved back to Wascott in 2005. I did not intend to get involved with local government. However, after attending town board meetings over the past year I have become convinced that change is necessary in the way that public officials conduct business for the town of Wascott.
I thought long and hard before I started to question and then investigate the practices of our town officials. The town must improve its performance with public meeting notices, openness with public records, full financial reporting, and public accountability. I have demanded an annual audit of the town's finances by a licensed Certified Public Accountant as mandated by state law §60.43 and I will not be silent until the town of Wascott meets all of its legal responsibilities. The last compliant audit was for 1999.
If the town of Wascott has nothing to hide, they should be anxious to have a legal audit for past years, correct the mistake of not knowing a CPA audit was mandatory, and put this public issue to rest. An independent CPA audit should also answer my ethics concerns and my perceptions of potential wrongdoings.
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I encourage you to attend town of Wascott meetings, and form your own opinions. The next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 2, at a special time.
-- Janice Newsome,
Wascott
