Emilia Teasdale is reporting in The Columbia Paper some members of the Chatham Town Board are concerned about a bill received from the town’s accounting firm, totaling more than $20,000. The board agreed to table payment of the bill until more information is provided. Board member Henry Swartz questioned the invoice submitted by the Hudson firm of Pattison, Koskey, Bucci and Howe, totaling more than the amount budgeted. He said the bill was originally for $40,000, but that town Supervisor Maria Lull negotiated with the firm to reduce the amount owed to $26,000. Swartz said he is still unclear what the board was paying for and noted it was never advised of the budget overrun. Board member John Wapner agreed with Swartz, and said he felt the accountants should have come to the board about the increased cost of services. Lull said Pattison, Koskey had to “rebuild” the budget and although they were hired in January of 2016, the circumstances forced them to go back and look at accounting issues from previous budget years, thus increasing the number of hours required to do the job. Under pressure from board members, Lull agreed to withhold payment this month, and indicated she would talk to the firm again. In July, Pattison, Koskey discovered that the town's expenditures had exceeded its revenue for several years, resulting in a budget shortfall averaging more than $200,000 per year over a three-year period.  Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.