IN HAEC VERBA: Letter to Mayor, Commissioners and Staff of the City of St. Augustine, Florida re: "Franchise Audit of all City of St. Augustine Franchisees"

Dear Mark, John, Ronnie, Timmy, Mayor Boles and Commissioners:
1. Please arrange for an immediate and annual audit all city franchisees' franchise tax or fee payments on a regular basis, including Florida Power & Light, COMCAST, BellSouth, gas and all other utilities and the two tour train companies, et al.
2. Why should "We, The People" take the franchisees' word for it? Why would we not spend part of the revenue from franchisees on auditing them, so we do know if they were correct in what they think they owe the City?
3. You tell me. Please. Today.
4. Please place this matter on the agenda of the next City Commission meeting (July 14, 2014), together with a staff memo listing each franchisee and the last time each was audited and estimating the cost for audits. Please prepare and issue an RFP immediately for an audit going back as far as the law and accounting principles will allow. (Three to five years?)
5. I believe that we will win greater respect and more revenue from our City of St. Augustine, Florida franchisees if we audit them regularly, as the Florida Legislature and our franchise agreements intended. Who among us could disagree?
6. Anything less is a breach of fiduciary duty and beneath the dignity of a great city. Do y'all agree?
7. Yes we can!
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogpspot.com
904-377-4998


On Jul 2, 2014, at 6:45 AM, Mark Litzinger wrote:

Ed the auditing of those who have franchise agreements with the City would have to be completed by my department or we would have to hire an accounting firm to perform the audit. This does not and should not fall under the scope of the City’s auditor. Unfortunately due to fiscal constraints we do not have the internal staff or funds to hire an outside firm to complete these audits.

Thanks
Mark