Phonies Are Active Again: Moriarty And Larsen Blindsided Berkeley Taxpayers

Dover Democrat Patronage Hogs Never Told Berkeley Sewerage Officials About Larsen’s Dover MUA Conflicts Or That Larsen’s Audit Firm Would Charge A Lot More For Work At Berkeley Sewer Authority Than The Auditor At The DMUA Which Is Three Times As Big

Democrat Larsen’s Berkeley Sewer Authority Bills Are Reminiscent Of Democrat Haluska’s Greedy Treatment Of DMUA Ratepayers Twenty Years Ago - Before He Was Convicted In Ocean Gate Extortion

Berkeley Republicans Left Sewer Authority With A 23% Rate Increase Last Year, But Larsen Is Making It Worse By Treating The Agency As His Personal Patronage Pump

Berkeley Township:
Accountant Richard Larsen is accusing the Dover Sewer Authority of being a “patronage mill”, a charge which Larsen himself knows is nearly baseless.

As the recently hired auditor for the Berkeley Sewer Authority, Larsen has started sending in vouchers that could make the Berkeley authority vulnerable to real patronage mill charges - inspired by the greed of accountant Larsen himself.

Larsen wants to “dissolve” the Dover Municipal Utilities Authority so spend-crazy Democrats can cover up big township budget deficits by squandering needed DMUA reserves.

Residents Can Expect Big Tax And Rate Increases

This would have the effect of wiping out vital funds for both agencies and causing big tax and rate increases within a few years just to keep the township and the sewer utility afloat.

OceanCountyPolitics has learned that township committeeman-elect Larsen and self appointed Dover Democrat patronage enforcer and party publicist “Doctor” Jack Moriarty, Larsen’s alter ego and Dover Democratic boss, never told Berkeley Sewer Authority officials that Larsen would charge exponentially more to provide accounting services for the Berkeley Authority than the fees Larsen was criticizing at the Dover Sewer Authority, an agency three times the size of the one in Berkeley.

Accounting fees at the Dover authority are the lowest per capita charges of any sewer authority in the county, as are the legal fees paid by the DMUA. Larsen, whose firm used to be DMUA auditor, says he wants to dissolve the DMUA, partly to “save money”.

Dover Democrats Lost Several  Elections Because
Of Over-Billing By Greedy Accountants

Furthermore, as Larsen knows perfectly well, the Dover Democrats have already lost several  elections because of excessive charges by accountants and lawyers. James Haluska, auditor for the DMUA when the Democrats were in control, squandered reserves so recklessly that the agency developed a net deficit of more than $2.4 million, a contingency which produced the biggest rate increase in the DMUA’s history.

Haluska billed the DMUA more than $80,000 his last year. Larsen is sending in bills to the Berkeley Sewer Authority at a rate which could approach $50,000 for the first full year at the small agency.

On A Per Thousand Customers Basis, Larsen Charges
Double Haluska’s Fees And More Than Five Times
As Much As Current DMUA Auditor

Dover MUA auditor Frank Holman charges $21,000 for the annual audit, plus about $6000 for extra work, about $23,000 less than Larsen is billing at an agency about one third Dover’s size. On a net/net basis, this equates to $450 per thousand ratepayers for the DMUA, compared to $2270 per thousand ratepayers for Larsen’s charges at the Berkeley Sewer Authority, a fee nearly 500% in excess of the DMUA payments.

Haluska Scammed Nearly $10,000 From DMUA Before
He Was Convicted In Ocean Gate Fund Fleece

Haluska overbilled the DMUA and received nearly $10,000 from a brazen bait and switch scheme that was a factor in a big rate increase in the 1980's. Haluska also served as Democratic campaign treasurer for Dover Township Democrats before he was convicted for extorting municipal funds from the Borough of Ocean Gate.

Larsen’s Scheme Tries To Get Democrats Past Vital
2003 Government Change Election

The Larsen scheme, similar to Haluska’s deficit scam, seeks to use needed DMUA reserves to paper over a big township tax increase to get Democrats past the 2003 election when a new mayor and council will be elected.

Clumsy Dover Democrat patronage hogs “Doctor” Moriarty and his employee, former Democrat Chairman Christopher Colavito, were also involved in a patronage subterfuge which nearly destroyed the South Toms River Democratic Party last year. Stay tuned for all the details to OceanCountyPolitics•Com.

(for 12/10/02)

Click here for previously published articles on Larsen-Moriarty DMUA desperation scam.

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