New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced his office completed audits of the Camillus Volunteer Fire Department, Town of Lewis, Madison County Probation Department and the Orange County Department of Social Services.

"In today’s fiscal climate, budget transparency and accountability for our local communities is a top priority," said DiNapoli. "By auditing municipal finances and operations, my office continues to provide taxpayers the assurance that their money is being spent appropriately and effectively."

Camillus Volunteer Fire Department – Controls Over Financial Activities (Onondaga County)
Department controls are not adequate to ensure that financial activity is properly recorded and reported and that department funds are safeguarded. Department officials provided no evidence that the auditing committee routinely reviewed the treasurer’s monthly bank statements, canceled checks and bank reconciliations to verify that transactions were appropriate.

Town of Lewis – Highway Purchases (Lewis County)
The board did not ensure that the former highway superintendent followed the town’s procurement policy or competitive bidding statutes. Auditors identified more than $100,000 of purchases that were not publicly advertised for bids or purchased through state or county contracts. In addition, purchases totaling $45,283 lacked adequate support or authorization.

Madison County Probation Department – Restitution Payments and Revenues (2014M-93)
The department has established an adequate system of internal control over the collection and disbursement of restitution. However, county officials were not pursuing all possible revenue sources within the department. If the county imposed certain allowable fees for probation supervision and drug screening, the probation department could generate an additional $25,000 annually.

Orange County Department of Social Services – Contract Monitoring and Payments (2014M-80)
Some county service providers are not providing services in accordance with agreements; therefore, the department may be paying for services not received. Although service providers submit reports that indicate how they met their performance measures, department officials do not verify the information. As a result, the county may have overpaid providers by $562,864.