By Rodd Cayton
Repairing Edgewood’s finances will be a time-consuming process, Town Manager Kelly Hamilton says, but the Town Commission and administrators are taking steps in that direction.
Hamilton told the Route 66 Independent that town leaders want the public to know what they’re doing. He extended an invitation to any resident to meet with staff and discuss measures that have been taken. One person, he said, is regularly meeting with town staff, he said. Other interested residents may make an appointment by calling Town Hall at 505-286-4518.
Hamilton said administrators are continually developing new standard operating procedures, which will be modified as the need arises.
He said the town is working on assembling missing audits from fiscal years 2024 through 2026, the first of which is nearly ready for review by certified public accounting firm Pattillo Brown & Hill LLP. After the audits are up to date, Hamilton said earlier, Edgewood can replace the Wells Fargo business account its original leaders opened with a government account that offers better options for the town’s credit cards. Earlier this year, finance manager Amber Sanchez discovered several credit cards in the names of long-departed town employees.
Work continues on an analysis of the town’s wastewater billing. At their June 23 meeting, executive assistant Tina Montano told town commissioners that 17 properties hooked up to the sewer system were not being billed, resulting in more than $200,000 in missed revenue over the last couple of years.
The Town Commission will host its next regular meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at Town Hall Commission Chambers, 171 State Route 344.