Delmont fire officials: State audit recommendations met

Delmont volunteer firefighters report their department is continuing to “move forward” after a recent report by the state auditor general disclosed not all of its recommendations from prior financial audits had been followed.

“For audited period Jan. 1, 2016, to Dec. 31, 2017, the relief association took appropriate corrective action to adhere to one of three findings contained in prior audit report,” the office of Eugene DePasquale said. “However, the relief association failed to take appropriate corrective action to address the two remaining findings.”

Fire Chief Rich Balik maintained Wednesday that since new leadership took over the department in 2017, the two findings cited in the recent report have been remedied.

“Almost as soon as I took over, I made sure that the (relief association’s) disbursement officer maintained proper surety bond coverage. That was not done before,” Balik said.

Balik said a second finding by DePasquale’s staff also was fixed when the department reimbursed its relief association an “undocumented” $3,000 expenditure that occurred under the prior administration.

“I worked with those two auditors when they were here late last year to make sure we are doing things properly. We’re moving forward,” Balik said. “We’ve even been able to gain a few members in the last year.”

The department was beset with mismanagement allegations after four former officers were charged with theft last year dating to 2013. Those officers, who have since been replaced, have denied wrongdoing and are awaiting trial in Westmoreland County.

Former fire Chief Logan Clark, 35; his wife, Heather Clark, 35; former fire department treasurer Jason G. Thomas, 37; and Timothy Bucciarelli, 60, are charged with theft for allegedly using department funds for personal benefit. A review of nearly four years of department finances led to allegations that the group misspent $60,000, according to documents filed by Westmoreland County Detective Paul Burkey.

Thomas also is accused of an additional count of access device fraud for allegedly using a department credit card for purchases that were for personal benefit, according to court documents.

Auditors noted in the recent report that during the 2016-17 period, relief association records indicate it did comply with a previous recommendation requiring more than one signature on disbursements.

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.