Elk Mound seeking cheaper audit

By LeAnn R. Ralph

ELK MOUND —   As is true of prices in general — and more specifically for running a municipality — the cost of auditing the books has been increasing steadily for Elk Mound over recent years.

Pat Hahn, village clerk treasurer, reported at the Elk Mound Village Board’s November 20 meeting that she has started searching for a more cost-effective annual audit of the village’s accounts.

The village currently uses Baker Tilly Virchow Krause at a cost of nearly $15,000.

Hahn said she had checked with Spring Valley and found out that it costs Spring Valley  $21,350 for an annual audit.

The Village of Roberts spends $18,250, she said.

The Village of Fall Creek, however, spends only $9,950 on an annual audit, Hahn said.

Krause Howard & Company, an auditing and accounting service out of Wausau, does the audit for Fall Creek, she said.

Hahn has placed several telephone calls to Krause Howard, but the person she needs to speak to has been on vacation.

Baker Tilly Virchow Krause has done the Elk Mound audit for many years, but the cost keeps increasing, Hahn noted.

A representative for Baker Tilly said the company could not compete on prices with Krause Howard, she said.

Hahn told the village board she would continue trying to reach the representative at Krause Howard.

Andy Peterson, village president, directed Hahn to put the annual audit on the agenda for the Elk Mound Village Board’s next meeting in December.

Other business

In other business, the Elk Mound Village Board:

• Learned that the Elk Mound fire department had gone out on six runs last month.

• Approved renewing the annual license for the Nelson Mobile Home Court.

• Approved an ice rink lease agreement in the amount of $400 with Steve and Margaret Dieter, 307 University Street.

• Approved purchasing surveillance cameras for the village hall at a cost of approximately $1,400. The cameras will be installed by the entrance doors and will be helpful for the clerk-treasurer when she is working in the building alone.

• Learned that the clarifier repair at the wastewater treatment plant had cost $3,000, as opposed to the initial estimate of $15,000.