Village leaders in Three Oaks have hired a company to do an audit of local finances. The action comes as the village tries to work its way out of a financial crisis that emerged this month when it found itself unable to pay its employees. Berrien County Treasurer Brett Witkowski, who has been brought in to sort out Three Oaks' financial records, says that figuring out exactly what the village has is one of the first tasks. Then, the accounting firm Gerbel and Company will have to do its audit, which may not be simple:
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He says that funds have been shifted around between different accounts in ways they're not supposed to be, and sorting them all out is the first priority. After that, the emergency finance committee will make recommendations to the village council for what it can do to resolve the problem and be eligible again for state loans.
