Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to assess the financial condition of City for the period January 1, 2014 through May 30, 2014.

Background

The City of Lockport is located in Niagara County, encompasses 8.4 square miles and serves approximately 21,100 residents. It is governed by a Mayor and an elected Common Council. The City’s budgeted appropriations for the 2014 fiscal year are approximately $33.4 million.

Key Findings

• The City’s accounting records are in such poor condition that City officials do not know the severity of their fiscal problems.
• The Treasurer does not routinely prepare cash-flow analyses. Without cash-flow projections, the Council and City officials were unaware of the magnitude of the City’s shortfall.

Key Recommendations

• Ensure that the City’s accounting records are complete, accurate and maintained in a timely manner so that the Council and City officials can properly assess the magnitude of the City’s fiscal problems and subsequently monitor financial activity.
• Prepare adequate cash-flow analyses and provide them to the Council for review.