Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to examine selected financial operations of the Town for the period January 1, 2013 through July 15, 2014.

Background

The Town of Jefferson is located in Schoharie County and had a population as of the 2010 Census of 1,410. The Town is governed by an elected five-member Town Board. Budgeted appropriations for 2015 total approximately $1 million.

Key Findings

• The Board and Supervisor did not ensure that all disbursements were for Town purposes and that all water rents were properly received and deposited.
• The Clerk maintained the old Supervisor’s records, which is incompatible with the Clerk’s duties, and the new Supervisor therefore hired a bookkeeping company in February 2014 to maintain the Town’s financial records.

Key Recommendation

• Establish an internal control structure to include compensating controls to mitigate the risks associated with the collection of water rents and disbursement of Town funds.