Executive Summary
Brockton’s school finance crisis left taxpayers holding the bag for an $18.3 million shortfall and nearly $400,000 in outside audit costs. These reviews found no fraud—but exposed systemic incompetence, weak leadership, and a culture of rubber-stamp oversight.
The problem isn’t the absence of laws. Massachusetts law (M.G.L. c.44, §§35 & 38) already requires annual independent audits of city and school finances. The issue is that these audits have become check-the-box exercises—certifying numbers after the fact without driving accountability, performance reforms, or public trust.
The findings from Open Architects and Nystrom, Beckman & Paris made one thing clear: Brockton doesn’t need more bureaucracy or new layers of veto power. What we need is enforcement, transparency, and consequences.
A fiscally responsible path forward means:
- Making audits matter by tying them to corrective action and public hearings.
- Protecting taxpayers by ensuring every dollar spent on audits produces measurable reforms.
- Prioritizing classrooms and families by holding leadership accountable for failures, not punishing students with instability.
And now, instead of fixing what’s broken, some want to hand the City CFO veto power over the School Committee. That’s not accountability—it’s bureaucracy on steroids.
Download the Full Audit Reform Plan →
The Cost of Failure
- $18.3M: That’s what blew a hole in the FY2023 school budget.
- $400,000: That’s what taxpayers shelled out for consultants and investigators.
- Zero accountability: No leaders removed. No systems fixed. Same problems waiting to repeat.
Taxpayers are paying for government’s mistakes—and then paying again to be told about them.
What the Law Says vs. What Brockton Does
- State law requires audits every year. (M.G.L. c.44, §§35 & 38)
- Reports are filed and shelved. No public hearings. No corrective action. No teeth.
- State Auditor could do performance audits. But Brockton hasn’t demanded it.
Bottom line: The laws are there. The leadership isn’t.
What the Audits Really Said
- Open Architects Review – Shortfall caused by bad math, mismatched expenses, and outdated systems.
- Nystrom, Beckman & Paris – Leadership labeled “inept,” oversight “rubber-stamp,” culture “we’ll figure it out later.”
Numbers added up. Leadership didn’t.
My Plan: Audits That Work for Taxpayers
- Annual Performance Audits – Not just math. Operational reviews tied to outcomes, efficiency, and risks.
- School-Specific Audit Mandate – Yearly, independent, and separate from citywide audits.
- Mandatory Public Hearings – Every audit presented in the open, with deadlines for fixes.
- Budgets Frozen Until Problems Fixed – No compliance, no new budget authority.
- Citizen Oversight Panel – Brockton residents keeping score.
Read the Brockton Audit Reform Plan →
My Plan: Audits That Work for Taxpayers
Brockton has already wasted $18.3 million through mismanagement.
Taxpayers have already spent $400,000 on audits that told us what we already knew—leadership failed.
Now, instead of fixing the system, the city wants to give more veto power to the CFO.
That’s not reform. That’s politics.
Real reform means audits that work for the people:
- Performance-based audits that measure results, not just reconcile numbers.
- Public hearings that force accountability, not hide failure.
- Corrective action tied to budgets so problems get fixed before another crisis.
- Citizen oversight so taxpayers, not bureaucrats, keep score.
The path forward is clear: stop paying for reports that collect dust and start demanding audits that protect families, classrooms, and taxpayers.
Where My Opinion Originates: Audits – Drive Accountability, Not Collect Dust
When people hear the word “audit,” they usually think about accountants checking numbers after the fact. But I know firsthand that audits—done right—can be powerful tools for change.
As a junior leader in the Department of Veterans Affairs, I conducted internal control audits, fiscal audits, and employee audits. Later, as a senior leader, I was responsible for overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal budgets. In that role, I saw the federal government’s version of “check-the-box” audits—audits that certified paperwork without driving any real change.
I refused to accept that. Instead, I built a system of performance-based audits. Every audit had to produce actionable results: clear SMART goals for departments, accountability for managers, and measurable improvements in quality, efficiency, and employee satisfaction. The results spoke for themselves—so much so that I was asked to travel the country and help struggling VA offices implement the same model.
The lesson was simple: audits should never be about paperwork. They should be about performance, accountability, and outcomes.
That same principle applies here in Brockton. Taxpayers have already paid over $400,000 for audits that confirmed what we already knew—systemic incompetence and leadership failures. We don’t need more layers of bureaucracy. We need audits that force action, shine light on failure, and demand correction.
Elected officials owe it to their constituents to treat every taxpayer dollar with respect. That means using audits not as a formality, but as a tool to ensure government delivers on its promises. Families in Brockton don’t deserve “check-the-box.” They deserve accountability, efficiency, and results.
Download the Full Audit Reform Plan →
Final Word: Do Your Homework
Brockton can’t afford more politics-as-usual. We’ve already seen what happens when oversight gets reduced to paperwork—millions wasted, trust broken, and students caught in the middle.
I’m asking you, the voter, to do what every responsible citizen should: look closely, ask hard questions, and decide what kind of government you want working for you.
Do you want more bureaucracy and excuses? Or do you want performance, accountability, and real outcomes for your tax dollars and your children’s education?
The choice is in your hands. Do your homework. Make the right call. And let’s finally build a system that works—for families, for taxpayers, and for Brockton’s future.
On Election Day, Vote Pina—first on the ballot, first in Ward 1—for School Committee.
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