Purpose of Audit

Our purpose of our budget review was determine whether the significant revenue and expenditure projections in the District’s tentative budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year are reasonable.

Background

The Campbell-Savona Central School District was authorized to issue debt totaling $3,250,000 to liquidate the accumulated deficit in the District’s general fund as of June 30, 2006. Local Finance Law requires all local governments that have been authorized to issue obligations to fund operating deficits to submit their tentative budget for the next fiscal year to the State Comptroller for review while the deficit obligations are outstanding.

Key Findings

• Based on historical trends and current fiscal year expenditures, the District’s projected expenditures for 2013-14 are not realistic. We estimate that the District will spend a total of $19.7 million, which is at least $1.1 million short of the District’s projection.
• District officials underestimated State aid in the 2014-15 tentative budget by almost $680,000.
• We estimate the minimum amount of fund balance for the 2014-15 fiscal year in excess of the 4 percent limitation is $100,000 and, therefore, appropriating $469,595 as planned will not ensure that the District is in compliance with statutory limits.
• The District’s tentative budget complies with the property tax levy limit.

Key Recommendations

• Reduce appropriations to more realistic levels.
• Increase the State aid estimate in the tentative budget to a reasonable amount.
• Use unexpended surplus funds in excess of the 4 percent limit to benefit taxpayers