New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced his office completed audits of Town of Geneseo, Monticello Joint Fire District and the Town of Orchard Park.
"In today's fiscal climate, budget transparency and accountability for our local communities is a top priority," said DiNapoli. "By auditing municipal finances and operations, my office continues to provide taxpayers the assurance that their money is being spent appropriately and effectively."
Town of Geneseo – Information Technology and Multiyear Planning (Livingston County)
The board has not adopted policies to sufficiently protect the town's information technology assets and did not ensure that the adopted acceptable use policy was enforced or monitored. Town officials did not adequately segregate online banking duties and did not dedicate a separate computer for online transactions to limit access to online bank accounts. In addition, auditors found the town accumulated excessive fund balance in various funds.
Monticello Joint Fire District – Fiscal Operations (Sullivan County)
The board did not adopt realistic budgets for the 2014 through 2016 fiscal years. Although total budgeted revenues were reasonable, total expenditures were overestimated an average of 20 percent or almost $391,000 annually. The treasurer performs all financial transactions without adequate oversight.
Town of Orchard Park – Recreation Department Cash Receipts (Erie County)
The board did not adopt written policies over financial operations or approve a key department contract. The department generally recorded and deposited cash receipts properly, but did not remit money to the supervisor in a timely manner.
For access to state and local government spending, public authority financial data and information on 130,000 state contracts, visit Open Book New York. The easy-to-use website was created to promote transparency in government and provide taxpayers with better access to financial data.