In an e-mail to Assembly members late this afternoon, Flynn said he had discussed the report and the pending work session with Wheeler earlier today. While he is canceling the work session, Flynn said, he expects the Assembly to continue working on improvements and changes to the city's fiscal reporting requirements.
Flynn also asked other members to respect any confidentiality restrictions that apply to communications about the report with the city attorney "in order to minimize the municipality's liability risk."
Wheeler's report, issued in mid-November, focused on four long-term labor contracts passed by the Assembly in the last months of the Begich administration. Wheeler concluded that Begich knew and failed to tell the Assembly that city revenues for the following year, 2009, would not be sufficient to pay for the contracts and a city budget passed by the Asembly last fall.
Begich and his former finance executives have strenuously denied that accusation.
The Jan. 8 work session was scheduled by former Assembly chairwoman Debbie Ossiander, who was replaced by Flynn in a reorganization on Dec. 15.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.