The audit? - it's impossible to figure it out!

We don't know about you, but balancing the books after a week's shopping is about as far as we get when it comes to financial calculations.
That's why it's so depressing to find that whilst Boston Borough Council has published its unaudited statement of accounts online so that any of us can take a look, there's nothing much by way of explanation, so all we have are 78 pages of closely packed information and no key as to what it all means.
Perhaps this is deliberate.
At the weekend one of the heavyweight Sundays published a piece about how local authorities are using their own publications to stifle investigation and debate from their local papers.
And we feel sure that when the news of the audit reaches our local press, there will be little by way of explanation or interpretation about what it all means.
This cuts both ways.
If the borough wants to use an absence of information and interpretation as a way to bury bad news, the opposite is true where any good news is concerned.
Skimming the pages, the impression we take away is that there's more bad news than good...

A council with a net worth of £10.5 million should make a bigger surplus than a meagre £13,000. The net worth was down by £8 million on 2007/08. mainly because of the pension fund liability, which increased by £5.365 million to reflect the expected decline in the value of investments heldby the pension fund, due to the current economic climate.

A corporate restructure during the year, saw staff cuts and redundancy packages of almost £140,000.

So, we're employing fewer staff and paying them to leave, whilst at the same time topping up their pension pots by almost half of the council's current value.
And whilst staff numbers are being reduced, there are now two earning between £50 to £60 thousand compared with one a year ago, and a newcomer in the ranks earning between £80 and £90 thousand - two posts alone that almost equal last year's redundancy costs.
If this is called value for money, we're glad we don't have an account with the Bank of Boston Borough!

Meanwhile, £1 million was used to pay off another debt incurred by the Boston Sports Initiative, whilst the mystery million pound loan is still on the books - despite promises to track it down and find out what it's for.

In his comments on the figures, the auditor raises questions about the council's relationship with Boston Sports Initiative - who run the Princess Royal Sports area - and whose funding from the council expired at the end of last month (we'll believe it when we see it!) as well as the Boston Area Regeneration Company.
He adds that, having regard to relevant criteria specified by the Audit Commission, he is not satisfied that, in all significant respects, Boston Borough Council made proper arrangements to secure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in its use of resources for the year ending 31 March 2009 and did not put in place adequate arrangements for:
having a sound understanding of its costs and performance and achieving efficiencies in its activities;
the commissioning and procurement of quality services and supplies, tailored to local needs, to deliver
sustainable outcomes and value for money;
producing relevant and reliable data and information to support decision making and managing performance;
promoting and demonstrating the principles and values of good governance;
managing its risks and maintaining sound systems of internal control; and
planning, organising and developing its workforce effectively to support the achievement of its strategic priorities.
You can read the report by visiting http://www.boston.gov.uk/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=1577&Itemid
If, after doing so, you're any wiser, we'd be interested to hear your comments.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.