Link to news release on NYS Comptroller Website.
Here's the summary at the NYS Comptroller website under "new releases February 22nd, 2011".
"The Town has experienced significant signs of fiscal stress and a deteriorating financial condition since its 2006 fiscal year. In the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years, the Board and Town officials did not adequately control general fund expenditures within the adopted budget. As a result, the general fund balance decreased from $1.5 million in 2006 to $297,000 in 2009. In addition, due to the reduced fund balance and over-expenditures, the Town had to increase its use of cash advances from other funds to pay general fund expenditures. The Town’s reported interfund loan balances increased by nearly $2.5 million from December 31, 2006 to December 31, 2009. However, we found that the Town has taken positive steps in the past two budgets to reverse these negative trends and improve its financial condition."
Here's the whole shebang:
irondequoit Audit
Page 15 has the Supervisor's letter (MJD) which states that some board members "take issue with the interpretive language of the report regarding the reduction of the reserve fund" and "they feel they were not fully informed by the past Comptroller of on going spending that created the inter-fund transfers" and "there were unanticipated expenditures" etc.
Also, it explains a little bit on why the Town has "balanced the budget on the backs of the Libraries" (according to a commenter on here).
"Town officials did not use cash flow projections to help determine
whether adequate moneys would be available to meet required cash
outlays. Furthermore, they did not provide adequate information
to the Board to ensure that they were aware of the general fund’s
ongoing cash fl ow issues. The Town’s general fund has experienced
significant cash flow problems over the past several years. To address
periodic cash deficiencies, the Town used cash advances, unauthorized
by the Board, from other funds to provide sufficient cash for current
operating expenditures.
The Town’s interfund advances have increased from $112,000 in 2006
to more than $2.5 million in 2009. Town officials made a majority
of these advances to the general fund for continuing operations. The
following tables detail the significant increase in interfund advances
from 2007 through 2009. Due to these interfund advances, several
funds, including the highway, library, lighting and sewer funds, were
left with little or no cash reported at December 31, 2009. While these funds reported healthy fund balances, the cash advances to the general
fund made up a significant portion of those fund balances."
So - with controls in place, and austerity in mind - the town can get back to a healthy level financially. Then we can spend it all on new libraries and all that stuff. But right now - gotta "live within your means" and "do more with less".
Which has been the reality for most of us taxpaying, penny-pinchers.
24 comments:
Ruh-Roh, Ruh-Roh, Ruh-Roh!
It finally hit the fan! What a scathing review.
I'm so glad that the NYS Comptroller- Thomas DiNapoli is a Democrat because the makeup of the Town Board during the years under review was fully Democrat or controlled by the Democrats.
If DiNapoli was a Republican, I'm sure many people would say he was being so critical and this is such a harsh review because of politics. So glad we got that out of the way. :)
From the audit -"The Town has experienced significant signs of fiscal stress and a deteriorating financial condition since its 2006 fiscal year. In the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years, the Board and Town officials did not adequately control general fund expenditures within the adopted budget. As a result, the general fund balance decreased from $1.5 million in 2006 to $297,000 in 2009.
Mary Ellen Heyman, Gail Bello and Debbie Evans were elected to the Town Board 2006 until 2010!
Stephanie Aldersley and John Perticone were elected to the TB in 2008 to the present time.
John Bovenzi was Comptroller of the Town and has since retired soon after Mary Joyce D'Aurizio was elected in 2010. We don't have to wonder why he retired!?
So these are the players. These are the elected officials and comptroller that are responsible for our money.
From reading the audit looks like they sold us down the river without a paddle.
OMG- I could only imagine what trouble we would be in if Mary Ellen Heyman, Gail Bello and Debbie Evans were re-elected. Thank you voters in Irondequoit!
I thank God that we have a much more responsible Town Board that I really believe is looking out for our best interest now.
Stephanie and John were part of the problem before but now that they are in the minority they have been agreeable and working to make things better.
I hope all of the residents in Irondequoit take the opportunity to look at this audit.
The people that we elect to these positions have the power to really make or break the Town. It is their job to KNOW what is going on.
We have a long road ahead because of these irresponsible transgressions that the prior board engaged in. I'm so glad that we are on the right road now! :)
Heh - maybe I should put a picture of Nixon on here with "I am not a crook".
Just so I can be like that honest IDC website.
They always pick the best candidates for the town!
Why...look at the last people they bac....er....sorry. Bad example
Note for Cheri re:
Stephanie and John were part of the problem before but now that they are in the minority they have been agreeable and working to make things better.
Uh - do you suppose they're making nice so the Republicans don't run anybody against them in the fall? What good are they?
Nice people who don't understand the Town business don't have any more value in my book than nasty people who finagle the books.
You know what's depressing? I know of three people who could replace Aldersley, Perticone and that silent laywer on the Board and do a really astute job for the Town. They all hate each other.
Can you guess who the other two are?
"I know of three people who could replace Aldersley, Perticone...."
*crossing fingers, toes, arms, legs, eyes, and some things I can't mention*
Oh please please please don't let their initials be RM or IS. Please please please.
I wish Ginny Maier would run for Town Board on the Democrat line.
I've never met her - but I like her. She's nice and is pretty smart for a smart person. I say that because some smart people aren't very smart.
*sigh*....if wishes were horses then beggars would ride.....
A snippet from "Anonymous" on February 23, 2011 @ 12:56 AM -
I know of three people who could replace Aldersley, Perticone and that silent laywer on the Board and do a really astute job for the Town. They all hate each other.
Can you guess who the other two are?
Wow, Anonymous - hate can be a very strong four letter word ... but I too will bite as my inquiring mind would love to know. Do tell - who are they? Please tell me they have a either a business, or financial background. And please tell me they have already proven to be responsible with managing monies, and budgets. Thanks in advance for this answer.
Off note:
I had heard that this was on the news early last night, but did not catch it myself - I did watch the news @ 11pm, and no extended coverage (that I saw) - anyone catch it at all yesterday?
Anonymous said - "Uh - do you suppose they're making nice so the Republicans don't run anybody against them in the fall? What good are they?"
I have heard that rumor. I am not trying to defend them because it was their business to know what was going on. Outside people were trying to tell the whole board that there were fishy dealings going on but nobody listened.
This audit enforces that the past TB had corruption and mismanagement. John and Stephanie were part of that group for part of the audit years.
I will never forget that Heyman, Aldersley, Evans, Bello and Perticone unanimously voted to RENT property with NO public input or vote. The whole Town should remember the board above named also was in on the 5 foot imaginary line around Pinegrove. They promoted that LIE prior to the referendum.
A referendum that residents had to walk in the winter between Thanksgiving and Christmas to gather the signatures to give us the right to vote.
All that being said, I'm not really a fan of a board being all one party. It seems we get in trouble that way. I think we need some checks and balances.
I'm not saying that John and Stephanie should be re-elected but I have liked how this board does work together for the good of the town instead of everything being petty politics.
Anonymous said -Can you guess who the other two are?
No, I don't know who the other two are (please tell) and I'm praying that Jax's initial guesses aren't the two! :(
I do vote with you Jax for Ginny, I think she would be excellent! :)
OMG- The pirate is back Kate! Priceless! Now we know how much pirating was going on. Ha.
I forgot I wrote about the depleted fund balances back in October 2009.
I think the biggest problem I have with the results of the audit is that there were inter-fund transfers without board approval, the "co-mingling" of funds without the legal authority to do so. They used capital funds from debt proceeds to support other funds' expenditures.
The audit states that "The use of proceeds of indebtedness for anything other than the purpose for which the debt was issued is prohibited."
Didn't Barone bring up the inter-fund transfers at public input during a TB meeting and say that it was wrong and that the board should approve it?
I wish I could remember what meeting that was.
Page 8 of the audit jumped out at me:
"In 2007 and 2008, the Board overspent its budget, resulting in unplanned operating deficits and reduced fund balance by a total of $662,419 more than expected. The Board’s inability to stay within the budget has placed the Town in
fiscal stress."
So - they overspent and decided to raid the general fund of other departments and the special districts.....and on page 10 it says: " In addition, because the special district funds are supported by different tax bases than the general fund, the affected taxpayers are paying more than necessary to fund special district operations."
THEN on pages 11-12 I read this:
"Town officials failed to segregate all debt proceeds as required by law,and instead included debt proceeds in the Town’s common money market bank accounts. The Town maintained three bank accounts
which commingled capital funds from debt proceeds with other Town moneys. As a result, the Town has used capital fund moneys from debt proceeds to support other funds’ expenditures, without legal authority to do so." and "The use of proceeds of indebtedness for anything other than the purpose for which the debt was issued is prohibited. It is a very poor
financial practice to use debt to
finance ongoing operations."
So - they did things without the legal authority to do so...things that are prohibited (which I kinda think means against the law)....they overspent the budget, raided special district funds to fund other things which means that the taxpayers in those affected special district areas are paying more than necessary to fund operations because of that.
But....don't worry....it was the past-past administrations fault, according to Mary Ellen Heyman in the D&C article today. "She said financial problems started before her administration and have continued since, because of too many services and not enough money.
LMAO - of course.
So - Heyman blames the past administration and too many services and not enough money.....John and Stephanie blame the Comptroller for not telling them....and then I distinctly remember Barone bringing up the fund transfers without board approval and that it was wrong.......and they ignored him, and told him that it was a line item in the budget so it was ok.
Wonderful. It's like De-ja-vu all over again! lol
I'm going to have to look at those past meeting minutes and find Barone's input.
Jax -
I remember that public input - I either have it taped, or I have it on the list of YouTubes clipped ... I clearly remember discussion about the depleted fund balance - it may have been legal as it was a line item (for emergencies) yet, it certainly was not on the up, and up having been spent w/o a vote - or made public.
Hmmm - to blame the Schantz administration for that is purely ridiculous - doesn't MEH have a calendar at hand? (MEH, is that the best ya got!?)
These were choices/decisions made on her watch.
I'll check what I have taped when I get home, and can get to a computer - I'm pretty sure I saved it in the event I didn't initially YouTube it.
Love that old blog about the depletion of fund balance.
The FOIL site knew what was going on but the Town Board members didn't have a clue!? Sure...
Richard Barone did public input about it.
But the Town Board like a bunch of kids responds
"I didn't do it."
"I had NO idea."
"Who me?"
"It was somebody else."
Hey where is Debbie Evans and Gail Bello's comments? Haven't heard from them yet.
Well Gail doesn't speak, so that's that.
We should be expecting a BOOK of explanation from former Councilwoman Evans though....
Can't wait...
lol
Shiver me timbers me hearties! The fund pirate has a solution - bond a million dollars to reconstruct the private road to Newport. Ye landlubbers better guarantee it or I'll flog you with the cat-o'-nine tails!
Heave-ho and gangway, I'm off to grab some grub.
Fair winds, ye scallywags! Ye best not hornswaggle the taxpayers while I'm gone!
Kate -
I can find a video on my list where Barone talks about inter fund transfers.
There was this video where Barone questions the board on their resolution to amend the CDBG funds.
They wanted to "reallocate" CDBG money from Titus-Cooper improvements, home improvement grants, and the Sea Breeze area sewage pumping station to pay for the renovations to King$ Pork and a small amount was going to mortgage relief.
The really funny part is....they told us it was too expensive to renovate Pine Grove for $260,000 - but they were going to spend about $250,000 for renovations to King$ Pork.
Ohhhh....the MEHmories.
"I can find a video on my list where Barone talks about inter fund transfers."
DERP!
That should read "I CAN'T find a video on my list......"
....and what were the tax increases during this time? Spending was out of control, leadership was non-existent and the board had a contentious relationship with the residents. Can't wait for Stephanie and John to ask for our vote again.
Just watched the Barone video from 12/08 like he said it's a FARCE!
When Bovenzi reads the public hearing announcement from the Post it isn't even in there correctly. Numbers-dates it really doesn't matter right?
Right after R. Barone goes up Heyman calls Ellie Haefner for input. I love when Ellie asks if she can assume that the CDBG funding is going to fix up King's Park? Heyman tells her, "you can talk if you like, feel free!"
Oh yes, the Town of Irondequoit, under Supervisor Heyman, was about full disclosure. Cough, cough, cough...
It's hilarious to watch these youtubes!
Talk about dysfunction this TB if re-elected (Heyman-Bello and Evans) were going to bond a million dollars for Newport Road!
They even had their IDC writer-planning board member cheerleading after they were voted out to have this happen. Could you imagine if we did that?
Oh yes, the MEHmories!
Ball fields!
WE NEED MORE BASEBALL FIELDS!
NEW LIBRARY/COMMUNITY CENTER/SENIOR CENTER!!!!
You all hate children, families, seniors, libraries, and learning.....you penny pinching whiners!
How DARE you deny us more ball fields and amenities that will entice young families to move here!
YOU ARE DESTROYING OUR TOWN YOU NEGATIVE NINNIES!
lol - sorry - I just miss the peanut gallery commenting.
I'm channeling DERP today.
Hey - remember when they told us that they reduced the property tax by 10%.....but they really INCREASED it by over 6%?
Link.
In 2008 the tax rate was $7.19 per thousand assessed value - then there was the reassessment in 2008 which lowered the tax rate to $6.03 per thousand a.v. - then they RAISED the tax rate to $6.41 per thousand a.v. and told everyone that they lowered the tax rate 10% from $7.19 to $6.41.
Unbelievable. Loved that one.
"If DiNapoli was a Republican, I'm sure many people would say he was being so critical and this is such a harsh review because of politics."
True.
Also, if it were a Republican Supervisor and Town Board who did things that were against the law like the Dems did in Irondequoit as stated in the audit - you'd have seen a front page article for days in the D&C, calls for their arrest and removal from the board, a few blogs on the IDC about how they are all crooks.....
but geez......not a peep. Crickets.
I think I found the new definition of hypocrisy!
I don't know IS.
kcomella, just think of anybody who has shown interest in nailing down the details of how the money is spent and anybody who's picked up on discrepancies and tried to get them fixed. The collection of talent and knowledge would be such an asset seated on the Town Board.
They have different opinions, but each one of them I'm thinking of is always 100% right, making anybody who disagrees 100% wrong. 8-)
Illegal, unethical, corrupt behavior by Democrats is not news worthy Jax!
Funny that there is no BOOK by Evans on any of the blogs. Cat got her tongue I guess.
Kind of hard to defend an 18 page audit done by a Democrat Comptroller. :)
The legacy of corruption and deceit! What a great thing to be known for.
One thing is for sure, all of these politician's involved sunk themselves politically.
No wonder the Democrats want to make a deal involving the next election.
Annon actually stumbled into an interesting idea. People with separate talents could actually move things forward. The parties would never go for such a concept but from a purely academic standpoint is presents a most interesting concept.
The one thing, other than D'Aurizio's talent for saving the town fiscally, that would move the town forward is a new government plan of operations. I will send a sample to the blogging hero to see if she wants to post it. It was presented to the Board for discussion. Officials, residents and committee people who did look at it agreed it was worthwhile.
Things can get done without a lot of money. New grants cycles are upon us and at least one is being planned.
Anonymous -
I appreciate the reply, but - honestly, I do not see that as the answer to my question. I was hoping that you'd provide me with a name. If you are as confident (w/ no uncertainty) in these people, as written - I would think you would name them. Sure, I too, could think of several that have "talent and knowledge" many of which are capable - but, would they be willing to run ... would they have the support from their party? That, unfortunately, I cannot answer. There are many factors - you don't just say "hey, I think I will run for town board" ... rewind for a minute - just remind yourself of what had happened in 05' ... and lead us to where we are now (ouch!)
They have different opinions, but each one of them I'm thinking of is always 100% right, making anybody who disagrees 100% wrong. 8-)
That would come down to the perception as you see it - what you see as "right", others may not - and vice versa. It's all a matter of how it's perceived. In addition, I could not imagine anyone agreeing, or being right 100% of the time, myself included - There are those that I have supported in the past ... even those that I support now - think I always agree 100% all of the time ... and with each of them? - ha! certainly not. It is only my opinion, but I do not see that as realistic.
Again, got a name? I would love to learn who there prospects of yours are.
I'm still trying to think of 3 people who hate each other, but have skills.
*correction - Again, got a name? I would love to learn who THESE prospects of yours are (or aren't)
I hate this phone.
Tim,
I uploaded your documents to my Scribd account (I don't have time to write a blog today).
If anyone would like to view what Tim sent me, you can at this link.
Thanks, Tim!
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