MacTiernan miffed she was never shown financial discrepancies

Last week, Fairfax Media revealed the department sent the city a letter demanding it explain a $3,199,799 deficit as surplus in the council's 2014-15 budget.

If council does not balance its books by June 30 2015, it could face a $6,339,558 deficit.

But the letter was not the first correspondence concerning the city's finanance from the department to former CEO John Giorgi, who departed the role in February.

Vincent CEO Len Kosova confirmed three previous letters were sent from the local government to Mr Giorgi from January 2013, to January 2014.

He told Fairfax Media there was "no evidence to suggest" the letters, which raised concerns about the city's financial position and reporting discrepancies, were shown to elected members.

Ms MacTiernan, who was mayor from 2011 until she was elected to the federal seat of Perth in September 2013, said she is only now aware two of those letters were sent to council during her tenure.

"I'm very concerned I never saw any of those letters," she told Fairfax Media.

"It's outrageous we never saw the letters and the CEO should have addressed this.

"You would think the local government would ensure the mayor received the letters or check to see if the information was passed onto elected members.

"If I knew about the letters, I would've called an urgent meeting to the audit committee and immediately sought advice from the local government."

Ms MacTiernan said the structure of local government needed an overhaul.

"Elected members need to have more authority," she said.

Ms MacTiernan said she did flag with the Department of Local Government her concerns over the certain "management skills" of some staffers but never heard back from the department.

Fairfax Media tried contacting Mr Giorgi, who is now doing consulting work for the Town of Cambridge, but did not return calls.

Current Vincent mayor John Carey was unavailable for comment as he off work due to illness.