Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to review the Town Clerk’s fiscal operations for the period January 1, 2008 through March 17, 2014.

Background

The Town of Cohocton is located in Steuben County and has a population of approximately 2,500. The Town is governed by an elected five-member Town Board. The Town Clerk is an elected position, and the Clerk also collects Town and County property taxes.

Key Findings

• The Clerk did not remit interest and penalties collected on the late payment of taxes to the Supervisor as required.
• The Clerk failed to record certain tax collections and penalties in the cash receipts journal.
• The Board did not audit the Clerk’s records and reports.
• The Clerk pled guilty to charges of grand larceny from the Town.

Key Recommendations

• Remit tax collections, including penalties, to the Supervisor on a weekly basis.
• Accurately record all collections in the cash receipts journal and deposit all collections in the appropriate bank account intact and in a timely manner.
• Perform an annual audit of the Clerk’s records, including tax collections.
• Consult with Town counsel to determine if it is feasible to recoup the missing money.