Rockaway sought two extensions to delay release of state audit

Rockaway Township appears to have deliberately pushed off the release of a scathing report from the state comptroller’s office to reduce the potential impact on tomorrow’s Republican mayoral primary.

An audit shows that the township collected almost $4 million in liabilities as a result of excessive accrual of unused vacation days, and squandered another $4.5 million that could have been saved by eliminating duplicate prescription benefits.  The report from the independent comptroller also found Rockaway’s vacation accrual policy to violate state law and that the township made over $167,000 in improper payments.

The probe began in February 2022 when local officials had an opening meeting with auditors.  The comptroller’s office presented their preliminary findings to Rockaway officials in October 2022 and provided the township with a draft report in January 2023.

Instead, Rockaway requested two extensions to provide its response – something that is typically due within two weeks of the draft report.   By trading barbs with the auditors, the township was able to delay its final response to April 14, 2023.

“The majority of Rockaway’s response, while challenging some of our findings, did not provide sufficient and appropriate evidence to warrant any changes,” the state comptroller’s office said.

Billing records for legal services by Iaciofano & Perrone, the township’s law firm, show that the township was still wordsmithing documents related to the audit through the end of March – after the filing deadline to run in the primary election.

Mayor Joseph Jackson faces Tucker Kelley, a former councilman, in the June 6 Republican primary.