FOR RELEASE:

DiNapoli's Office Completes Local Government Audits

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced his office completed the following audits: Town of Bethany – Justice Court (Genesee County and Federal Stimulus Program – Procurement for Local Highway Projects in the Hudson Valley Region (Dutchess, Rockland and Ulster counties; the City of Kingston; the towns of Clarkstown and Poughkeepsie; and the villages of Ellenville and Scarsdale).

"My office's audits of local governments improve their financial management practices," DiNapoli said. "These audits are tools for local officials to make sure proper policies and procedures are in place to protect taxpayer dollars and provide the best possible service these taxpayer dollars can deliver."

Town of Bethany – Justice Court
DiNapoli's auditors reviewed Justices Shea's and McBride's records and reports and found that internal controls over court operations were not designed appropriately or operating effectively to properly account for financial transactions. Accountabilities reconciling court assets to known liabilities were either not prepared or were inaccurate; justices did not always make deposits intact and in a timely manner, and the board did not report the extent of testing or the results of its audit of court records. These weaknesses increase the risk that court funds could be misidentified, lost or misused.

Federal Stimulus Program – Procurement for Local Highway Projects in the Hudson Valley Region
DiNapoli's auditors found that the eight local governments audited in the Hudson Valley region followed sound procurement procedures when awarding contracts funded by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds. The report determined that these municipalities (Dutchess, Rockland and Ulster counties; the City of Kingston; the towns of Clarkstown and Poughkeepsie; and the villages of Ellenville and Scarsdale) had competitively bid or used state contracts for work on the 11 projects auditors examined, and had taken reasonable measures to ensure that only responsible vendors were awarded contracts. Auditors identified potential responsibility issues with the vendors used by two municipalities, and recommended that local officials monitor these vendors closely to ensure the adequacy and completeness of their performance on the project.

If you have any questions or would like a comment from the Comptroller's Office regarding these audits, please call Nicole Hanks at 518-474-4015, or send an email to nhanks@osc.state.ny.us.

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