Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to evaluate internal controls over the Town’s cash receipts for the period January 1, 2013 through July 31, 2014.

Background

The Town of Beekman, which is governed by an elected five-member Town Board, is located in Dutchess County and has a population of approximately 15,000. In February 2015, the former Town Comptroller pleaded guilty to second-degree larceny in the theft of $390,178 from the Town and, on March 5, was charged with grand larceny related to additional theft uncovered in our audit.

Key Findings

• A total of $149,219 in cash was not deposited into any of the Town’s bank accounts and cannot be accounted for.
• The Board did not adequately segregate duties, which allowed the former Town Comptroller to perform duties related to the receiving and processing of cash receipts without oversight.
• Cash receipts were not deposited within 10 days, as required by law, with some deposited between 11 to 67 days after collection.

Key Recommendations

• Seek recovery of collections not deposited.
• Adopt written policies and procedures over cash receipts, including segregating incompatible functions related to cash receipts.
• Ensure that deposits are timely in accordance with applicable laws.