As the author of Portsmouth’s original Audit Committee ordinance—and a finance professional with decades of experience in budgeting, accounting, and audit oversight—I was alarmed by what unfolded at the Audit Committee meeting on October 14, visit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgmzjRWFl3w). What should have been a straightforward financial review instead revealed how little oversight our city currently has over its finances.
The Audit Committee (Councilors Tabor [Chair], Moureau, Denton, one private citizen, and the City Manager as a non-voting member) is required by city code to meet each January and elect a new chairperson. Yet it had not met since January 2023—a clear violation of its own rules and a breach of public trust. Even worse, minutes from that 2023 meeting were only approved now—two and a half years late—violating New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know law, which requires minutes within five days.
The committee’s main agenda item, the FY2024 financial reports, were discussed even though we are well into FY2026—making the information outdated and meaningless for effective decision-making. Adding to the concern, the city’s website has not posted a single monthly financial report since February 2025, leaving taxpayers in the dark about how their money is being spent.
Despite all this, the committee voted to recommend to the City Council renewing the auditor’s contract—without any proposal, cost estimate, or justification. That’s not fiscal stewardship—it’s rubber-stamping.
Our residents deserve better. Portsmouth needs leaders who understand financial management, who take oversight seriously, and who will protect taxpayer dollars with transparency and accountability.
As the person who wrote the original ordinance and someone who has spent my career ensuring fiscal responsibility, I know what competent oversight looks like—and this isn’t it. Portsmouth deserves better governance and stronger financial leadership.
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