Ludlow Town Manager suspended, office closed as state audits finances

By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    LUDLOW — Questions about how and why the state decided to step in and audit Ludlow’s finances remained unanswered after Monday’s “informal town meeting.” More than 70 residents packed the town office for a special meeting after finding out it would be officially closed until further notice.
    Rumors swirling around the town’s financial condition and the suspension of its town manager are still largely subject to more speculation since much involves “personnel matters” and cannot be discussed publicly.
    Brent Bailey, a 24-year resident of Ludlow, attended a town meeting with his wife Brenda “for the first time because rumors are floating around and I want to find out what’s going on.” Rhonda Tower, a 22-year resident, “hadn’t heard anything but wanted to find out what’s going on.”
    What they and the others heard, was often “no comment” or “it was a personnel issue.”
No audit from town manager
    Selectman Ginny McCain announced that Marybeth Foley was on suspension from her job as town manager, without pay, for not producing “receipts and a copy of an audit.”
    In addition to the state review, McCain said there is going to be another audit by a private firm for about $5,500. How far back either investigation goes “will depend on what they find,” according to Greg Dow another selectman.
Ivey talks to Pioneer Times
    Ted Ivey, the first selectman, did not attend the Monday meeting moderated by Gary Stairs, reportedly due to a health issue. Reached yesterday morning for comment, Ivey said he was “in Bangor due to a recent heart attack.”
    Ivey was asked about the long list of cancelled checks over three years handed out at the meeting. Many were made out to him totaling $30,000. He said “there are slips there for all of it. I don’t know where they are. The labor was for work on the building and mileage was for the food pantry.”
    He too, said he wouldn’t comment until the audit was done but added: “I don’t think there is any discrepancy in where the money has gone. It will all come out in the audit. A couple of people think something is going on, but there isn’t.” He also said he has not talked with Foley about the situation and doesn’t know why she did not produce an audit.
State shutdown
    No one was available in state government to comment on the audit because all state offices were closed Monday for the Presidents’ Day holiday and again on Tuesday a mandated shutdown day.
    During the meeting, Brenda Hemingway pointed out that there were missing sequences on a handwritten list of cancelled checks. When she asked if the school bill had been paid, which she expected would have been the largest, Dow responded “not in the last three months.” Hemingway’s comeback — “holy moly!” Dow said two signatures are required on all checks.
Where to go from here
    Concerns over tax payments, outstanding bills, the future of the food pantry and even investing so much trust and authority in a town manager may pave the way for solutions to serve the town better down the line, although no decisions were made at the meeting Monday.
    Town clerk Karen Beaulieu will be able to register vehicles and issue licenses for dogs, hunting and fishing. McCain said the towns of New Limerick, Linneus and Smyrna “will work with us to register vehicles.” There will not be any interest charged on unpaid taxes from Feb. 5 until the office reopens.
    How much, if anything, is in the bank account drew “I can’t say” from Dow. When asked if the town would be able to pay the bills, he responded: “Oh yeah.”
    After the gavel came down to adjourn the meeting, several residents expressed concern about the town’s financial wellbeing. “There are a lot of unanswered questions,” said Tower. “I learned that we are in much worse trouble than I thought we were and I’m very disappointed. I guess we wait for the audit,” said Cindy Milton.