New Bloomfield holds City Hall meeting after petitioners request state audit

UPDATE 9:26 p.m.: In Thursday’s meeting, Mayor Greg Rehagen addressed the state audit that many concerned citizens of New Bloomfield had requested on Tuesday.

Rehagen said residents still have the opportunity to withdraw their signatures, because they already have an independent auditor and it can cost up to $11,000.

The independent audit the mayor is referring to, he said it will be done next month May 2018 but for the 2017 calendar year, Jan. 1 2017 to Dec. 31 2017.

According to Rehagen, the firm Gerding, Korte and Chitwood has been auditing them for the past three years.

He also reiterated having a state audit would be more of burden and cost to taxpayers in New Bloomfield but Concerned Citizens of New Bloomfield (CCCNB) are not having it.

CCCNB said they prefer the state to audit the city because the City Council pays this firm to audit the city and there is just no telling what their relationship is like.

Petitioners said they will continue to press the City Council until something is done.

Many of them addressed the mayor that he still is not answering their questions.

The mayor responded with, “I understand.”

After the meeting was over, the mayor said he had to get to a room for a personal matter with the aldermen and the residents in the City Hall meeting went outside to socialize and voice their frustrations.

The next City Hall meeting is scheduled for May 10.

ORIGINAL STORY: It has been almost three months since the chief of police, Greg Mooney, the only police official in New Bloomfield, said he was asked to resign after talking to ABC 17 News.

Residents have told ABC 17 News they feel Mayor Greg Rehagen is not governing the city well and is not being clear with them.

A group called the Concerned Citizens of New Bloomfield (CCCNB) is asking the mayor to resign if he can’t answer their many questions in a “non-politically correct way.”

Jennifer Graves, a New Bloomfield resident and member of CCCNB said the police issues is their main concern.

“We actually have several questions. One of the questions is about the police. That’s the biggest main question that we have,” Graves said.

Graves said, communication is a key and without communication and trust, people have nothing.

A petition was filed by some New Bloomfield residents asking the State Auditor’s Office to audit the city.

Earlier Thursday, the mayor of New Bloomfield released a statement, saying those who have signed the petition can choose to withdraw their signature.

According to him, per state law, the city already has an independent audit on an annual basis.

ABC 17 News will be reporting live from New Bloomfield Thursday night with details on the City Hall meeting.

You can read Rehagen’s entire statement below:

A state audit will be an additional burden and cost on the tax payers of the City of New Bloomfield.

Per state law, we already have an independent audit done on an annual basis which costs the tax payers an average of $9,000 to $11,000. These audits are available for public viewing. Myself and Board of Alderman are given recommendations from the auditing firm once audits are completed. City operational activities change yearly to conform to these recommendations.

For those of you that have signed the petition to have the City of New Bloomfield engage in a state audit and have had a change of mind with the new knowledge of our yearly performed audits, you can withdraw your signature. The removal form is located at auditor.mo.gov under the petition audit information tab listed under useful links.