Bellevue's new director of administrative services is getting a firsthand look at the administrative financial problems facing the borough.

"It's a mess," DAS Doug Sample told council at its work session on Tuesday. "Plain and simple, finances are a mess."

Bellevue's state-mandated audit had to be delayed this year because financial records could not be produced. Once that audit was complete, Sample said, it was discovered that Bellevue never made the third quarter payment to ALCOSAN in 2009.

Council member Jane Braunlich said that she has requested at least three times that council be given a breakdown of the bond monies, but officials have yet to receive that information. Council members also had questions about the treasurer's report, but could get no answers because the treasurer was not in attendance at the meeting. Braunlich and council president Kathy Coder agreed that treasurer Paul Cusick should be present at the work sessions.

Sample said that he had instituted a purchase order system that should make paying bills a less "cumbersome" process. Bills currently are approved by each committee, and then go to council as a whole for final approval and authorization for payment. He suggested amending Bellevue's administrative code to require approval only from council as a whole.