Now that the auditor's findings of the 2006 fiscal year are posted (PLEASE SEE THE BELOW POSTED BLOG), let's take a look at some of the comments that were made at past Town Board meetings:
Here are some of the comments:
Jan. 24, 2011
Joanne Lown, Horns Park Rd., questioned why the Town was hiringSpecial Counsel for the Board of Ethics and the temporary clerk in Administration.
Supervisor Martino explained that the Board of Ethics requested Special Counsel for an issue before them and that a part time clerk was needed to help catch up on work since the loss of the Senior Account Clerk.
Joanne Lown stated that the Procurement Policy was not being updated and that bills are being paid illegally from incorrect funds. Um, hate to break the news, but your not the bookkeeper anymore Joanne.
Patricia Dreveny, 611 Violet Ave., asked how the new Comptroller will make the town finances better. She also questioned why the highway bills were not being paid.
Bob Arata, Ledgewood Drive, read a letter against hiring a Comptroller.
The following is the job description and educational requirements of a comptroller (this is a general description so there may be additional/less responsiblities., so I have no idea why one would be against it, unless he has some personal bias against Comptrollers in general...
Job Description of a Comptroller
The scope of duties of a comptroller, includes financial, accounting and administrative related work. The reporting head of the comptroller is the senior administrative officer or manager. So here's a brief information on comptroller job description.
Comptroller Educational Requirements
The comptroller's job is not an easy one! Rather, comptrollers are highly responsible people, looking after the accounts, finance and administration tasks of the organization. The position therefore needs a well educated and qualified personnel. To seek job as a comptroller, a bachelor's degree in accounting is necessary. Some organizations might demand a master's degree in finance or accounting. However, it depends upon the organization and the scope of work. Apart from this, thorough knowledge of the latest accounting softwares, financial softwares, management systems, payroll procedures, knowledge of verifying and interpreting financial data and records, excellent communication skills to coordinate with the employees and management personnel of other department, are also essential for the position of a comptroller.
He wants to see the former Bookkeeper reinstated rather than a Comptroller, stating that the former Bookkeeper only made one mistake in twenty three years. He would like to see a Town Manager and not a Supervisor.
Actually she made more than just one which was the 3/4 million dollar one. She didn't pay the ambulance service for Quaker Road for several years. Then I heard there was a $35,000 Forest Drive landfill error. Oh, and she wasn't maintaing the records accurately from what was discovered...
Joanne Lown, Horns Park Road, stated her qualifications to become a Comptroller. She feels that there is not proper financial reporting in the town.
You need to have more than a two year college degree from Dutchess Community College in order to be qualified as a Comptroller as well as the ability to maintain proper records (see above job description and the auditor's report that is posted on this site) Being in a position for eleven years doesn't necessarily mean that you are qualified for the job, it just means that you were able to do alot of skating.
Pompey Delafield, 62 E. Market St., feels that it was a mistake to abolish the Bookkeeper position.
Really Pompey? Did you even read the auditor's report?
He also feels that the new Conservation Advisory Council members do not have the experience necessary.
Councilman Taylor stated that the new Comptroller has municipal experience.
Supervisor Martino presented three pages of exceptions from the 2009 Audit.
June 13, 2011
Joanne Lown, Horns Park Road, questioned the balance of the fund balance and the status of the police budget. .
Councilwoman Serino stated that she did not know what the General Fund Balance was.
From what I've read in the minutes of the Town Board meetings. Sue Serino doesn't really know much of anything in regards to the Town.
Supervisor Martino stated that the town was currently undergoing an audit of the year 2009. He stated that the auditors have found that ending balances do not agree with the beginning balances of the next year and that certain bank reconciliations within the system had not been done for 11 years. These are the reasons that requested reports are not available at this time. Auditors are trying to complete the records. 2007 audit issues that had not been addressed in the past, but are now being addressed.
I can conclude that the results of the 2009 audit are parallel with the findings of the 2006 audit. Apparently the corrections that were recommended to be made in the previous audit were not done based upon what Mr. Martino has said.
Joanne Lown stated that bank reconciliation had been done and feels that end year reports should be available.
If the 2009 audit reflects the findings of the 2006 audit, I highly doubt her claim.
Councilwoman Serino asked when the audit would be done. Although she supports Chief Broe she wants the audit completed before he receives a salary increase.
Maybe Ms. Serino shouldn't have voted against having an audit perfomed (see Sue Serino, HV News Sweetheart blog for her voting record)
Councilman Taylor again stated that the funds for the Police Chief salary increase would be coming from monies that are already appropriated in thebudget. He feels that we need a full time Police Chief.
Joe Petito, Cobey Terrace, questioned how the Town could function if they did not know how much money was left in the Police budget.
Aileen Rohr, 53 Fuller Lane, asked if because the Town was having an audit, that meant that you could not do a year end financial statement.
Attorney to the Town James Horan stated that the 2009 balance between the bank account and the computer does not match and that errors made in 2006 regarding the landfill, have not yet been explained. They are trying to reconcile these issues.
Here are some of the comments:
Jan. 24, 2011
Joanne Lown, Horns Park Rd., questioned why the Town was hiringSpecial Counsel for the Board of Ethics and the temporary clerk in Administration.
Supervisor Martino explained that the Board of Ethics requested Special Counsel for an issue before them and that a part time clerk was needed to help catch up on work since the loss of the Senior Account Clerk.
Joanne Lown stated that the Procurement Policy was not being updated and that bills are being paid illegally from incorrect funds. Um, hate to break the news, but your not the bookkeeper anymore Joanne.
Patricia Dreveny, 611 Violet Ave., asked how the new Comptroller will make the town finances better. She also questioned why the highway bills were not being paid.
Bob Arata, Ledgewood Drive, read a letter against hiring a Comptroller.
The following is the job description and educational requirements of a comptroller (this is a general description so there may be additional/less responsiblities., so I have no idea why one would be against it, unless he has some personal bias against Comptrollers in general...
Job Description of a Comptroller
The scope of duties of a comptroller, includes financial, accounting and administrative related work. The reporting head of the comptroller is the senior administrative officer or manager. So here's a brief information on comptroller job description.
- Establishing and maintaining cash controls and reconciling of general ledgers and bank statements.
- Provide assistance to the senior authorities in preparing the annual budget and also the annual audit.
- Maintaining the purchase order system.
- Adhering and implementing the financial procedures and policies, set by the higher management.
- Supervising investments and cash reserves.
- Monitor data entry systems and procedures.
- Prepare and systematically maintaining all the supplier accounts.
- Verifying charges and ensuring security of all credit cards.
- Preparing income statements and also keeping tabs of transactions and their entry in the computerized accounting database.
- Classifying and maintaining financial files and records, according to the year.
- Working on the preparation of quarterly reports, monthly financial statements and balance sheets.
- Reconciling the payable accounts, receivable accounts and preparing journal summaries.
- Issuing receipts for all the accounting transactions.
- Maintaining records pertaining to the financial systems.
- Issuing, coding and authorizing purchase orders.
- Compiling source documents.
- Reconciling source deposits.
- Office management duties of the comptroller include, the maintenance of filing systems, security systems of documents, maintaining insurance coverages, responding to customer and employee queries.
- The administrative work involves, employee management duties such as, reviewing payroll reports, receiving employee work reports from other departments and calculating their salaries, contributions and deductions (if any!).
- Processing and distributing pay checks.
- Maintaining and ensuring proper updating of the leave system.
- Making adjustments to the payroll wherever necessary.
- Ensuring the proper documentation of the records and documents of the new employees in the accounting system.
- Looking after the administration of benefit entitlements.
- Verifying and reporting on benefit payments.
Comptroller Educational Requirements
The comptroller's job is not an easy one! Rather, comptrollers are highly responsible people, looking after the accounts, finance and administration tasks of the organization. The position therefore needs a well educated and qualified personnel. To seek job as a comptroller, a bachelor's degree in accounting is necessary. Some organizations might demand a master's degree in finance or accounting. However, it depends upon the organization and the scope of work. Apart from this, thorough knowledge of the latest accounting softwares, financial softwares, management systems, payroll procedures, knowledge of verifying and interpreting financial data and records, excellent communication skills to coordinate with the employees and management personnel of other department, are also essential for the position of a comptroller.
He wants to see the former Bookkeeper reinstated rather than a Comptroller, stating that the former Bookkeeper only made one mistake in twenty three years. He would like to see a Town Manager and not a Supervisor.
Actually she made more than just one which was the 3/4 million dollar one. She didn't pay the ambulance service for Quaker Road for several years. Then I heard there was a $35,000 Forest Drive landfill error. Oh, and she wasn't maintaing the records accurately from what was discovered...
Joanne Lown, Horns Park Road, stated her qualifications to become a Comptroller. She feels that there is not proper financial reporting in the town.
You need to have more than a two year college degree from Dutchess Community College in order to be qualified as a Comptroller as well as the ability to maintain proper records (see above job description and the auditor's report that is posted on this site) Being in a position for eleven years doesn't necessarily mean that you are qualified for the job, it just means that you were able to do alot of skating.
Pompey Delafield, 62 E. Market St., feels that it was a mistake to abolish the Bookkeeper position.
Really Pompey? Did you even read the auditor's report?
He also feels that the new Conservation Advisory Council members do not have the experience necessary.
Councilman Taylor stated that the new Comptroller has municipal experience.
Supervisor Martino presented three pages of exceptions from the 2009 Audit.
June 13, 2011
Joanne Lown, Horns Park Road, questioned the balance of the fund balance and the status of the police budget. .
Councilwoman Serino stated that she did not know what the General Fund Balance was.
From what I've read in the minutes of the Town Board meetings. Sue Serino doesn't really know much of anything in regards to the Town.
Supervisor Martino stated that the town was currently undergoing an audit of the year 2009. He stated that the auditors have found that ending balances do not agree with the beginning balances of the next year and that certain bank reconciliations within the system had not been done for 11 years. These are the reasons that requested reports are not available at this time. Auditors are trying to complete the records. 2007 audit issues that had not been addressed in the past, but are now being addressed.
I can conclude that the results of the 2009 audit are parallel with the findings of the 2006 audit. Apparently the corrections that were recommended to be made in the previous audit were not done based upon what Mr. Martino has said.
Joanne Lown stated that bank reconciliation had been done and feels that end year reports should be available.
If the 2009 audit reflects the findings of the 2006 audit, I highly doubt her claim.
Councilwoman Serino asked when the audit would be done. Although she supports Chief Broe she wants the audit completed before he receives a salary increase.
Maybe Ms. Serino shouldn't have voted against having an audit perfomed (see Sue Serino, HV News Sweetheart blog for her voting record)
Councilman Taylor again stated that the funds for the Police Chief salary increase would be coming from monies that are already appropriated in thebudget. He feels that we need a full time Police Chief.
Joe Petito, Cobey Terrace, questioned how the Town could function if they did not know how much money was left in the Police budget.
Aileen Rohr, 53 Fuller Lane, asked if because the Town was having an audit, that meant that you could not do a year end financial statement.
Attorney to the Town James Horan stated that the 2009 balance between the bank account and the computer does not match and that errors made in 2006 regarding the landfill, have not yet been explained. They are trying to reconcile these issues.
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