Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to review the Town's financial operations for the period January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016.

Background

The Town of DeKalb is located in St. Lawrence County and has a population of approximately 2,400. The Town is governed by an elected five-member Town Board. Budgeted appropriations for 2016 totaled approximately $1.5 million.

Key Findings

• The Supervisor did not periodically review Town accounting records that are maintained by its accounting firm.
• The Town has accumulated excessive funds in the general town-wide fund.
• The Board did not annually audit or cause an audit of the Supervisor's records.

Key Recommendations

• Properly oversee and monitor the firm's work.
• Develop a fund balance policy that establishes a reasonable amount of fund balance that should be maintained in each fund and ensure that the excess unrestricted fund balance in the general town-wide fund is used in a manner that benefits Town residents.
• Annually audit or cause an audit of the Supervisor's books and records.