Preston — The Board of Finance voted unanimously Wednesday to select a Winsted firm to conduct the annual town audit, after the previous contracted firm dropped the town’s contract in January, citing difficulty obtaining information remotely.

The board heard presentations Wednesday from two of the three firms that responded to a quick search for a new auditor and selected King, King & Associates PC of Winsted for a two-year contract with options for two additional years. The firm will conduct the audit of the 2019-20 fiscal year – initially due by the state at the end of December – for $31,800. The cost will be $34,000 next year.

The town’s previous audit firm, Sandra E. Welwood LLC of Danbury, sent a letter to the town Jan. 25 abruptly canceling its auditing services agreement with the town, citing inability to obtain data remotely after repeated attempts. Town officials said at the time they were surprised and unaware that the remote work was causing critical problems.

Town audits must be filed with the state by Dec. 31, but with many audits being conducted remotely, 79 cities and towns had requested extensions from the state Office of Policy and Management. Preston had been approved for an extension through the end of February and has requested another extension through March 31.

King, King & Associates, which does annual audits for several eastern Connecticut towns, including Griswold and Lisbon, told town officials it expects to complete the audit in April, said Christopher King, who will lead the Preston audit. The firm will do some work in-person at Town Hall and some work remotely, he said. He said most audits are done that way, but with COVID-19 precautions, more work is being done remotely.

King said most of the firm’s other 2019-20 municipal audits are done, so the firm will start preliminary work immediately for Preston and plans to do the bulk of the work in March.

“It always takes a little longer the first year working with a town,” he said.

If any problems arise, the firm will notify the Board of Finance and Finance Director John Spang, King said.

The company would add a fee of $2,200 if it must redo a financial statement on the town’s school system that Welwood did file with the state Department of Education by the Dec. 31 deadline.

Board of Finance Chairman John Moulson said Thursday the board was pleased with King’s presentation and its familiarity with small towns in Connecticut and this region. King also was the low bidder.

c.bessette@theday.com