Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to determine whether the District’s controls were adequate to ensure that financial activity was properly recorded and reported and that moneys were safeguarded for the period January 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014.

Background

The Willsboro Fire District is a district corporation of the State, distinct and separate from the Town of Willsboro and the County of Essex, in which it is located. The District is governed by an elected five-member Board of Fire Commissioners, and an appointed Treasurer acts as the chief fiscal officer. Budgeted appropriations for the 2014 fiscal year totaled $239,340.

Key Findings

• The Treasurer does not maintain running cash balances in the check book registers, maintain accounting records with cash accounts and subsidiary revenue and expenditure accounts or reconcile bank balances to book balances.
• Annual reports have not been filed with OSC for the past 3 years.
• The Board did not conduct an annual audit of the Treasurer’s records for the 2013 fiscal year.

Key Recommendations

• Maintain adequate accounting records and perform monthly bank reconciliations.
• File the District’s annual financial report each year with OSC in a timely manner.
• Conduct an annual audit of the Treasurer’s records and document the results in the Board minutes.