[read complete report - pdf]

Audit Objective

Determine whether the Board:

• Effectively managed financial operations.
• Ensured that ambulance services were provided in accordance with applicable laws.

Key Findings

• The Board has accumulated excessive fund balances in four operating funds. From 2013 through 2017, unrestricted fund balances increased by nearly 100 to 200 percent.
• The Board has not adequately segregated cash disbursement duties or implemented compensating controls.
• The Board allowed a third-party ambulance company to retain and use all fees collected for ambulance services, which is not authorized by law.¹

Key Recommendations

• Develop and adopt budgets with realistic estimates of revenues and expenditures based on historical trends or other known factors.
• Ensure compensating controls are implemented to address the lack of segregation of duties within the disbursement process.
• Ensure that all ambulance service fees collected are remitted to the Town.

Town officials agreed with our recommendations and have initiated or indicated they planned to initiate corrective action.

¹ New York State General Municipal Law, Section 122-b