Friday, 16 September 2011
According to the New York State Comptroller’s office, Villages in the State are required by law to furnish annual financial statements to them. Fiscal calendars run from June 1st through the following May 31st.
Although the State does not mandate that Villages conduct their own independent audits, many do. Tarrytown, for example, has hired the firm of PFK O’ Connor Davies LLP a full-service public accounting firm, to conduct its Village audit on September 19. The findings from Tarrytown’s audit will be sent to the State Comptroller’s office and will appear on the office’s “Open Book” website.
For the year 2010 the Village of Sleepy Hollow did not provide the State Comptroller’s Office with the financial information required by law, and hence, at the State’s Open Book website the words “No Data” appear for the Village. The State is currently in the process of auditing Sleepy Hollow. The information they have supplied this publication mentions that one of the conditions for auditing a Village is a “red flag” in required financial information filed [or as in the year 2010 – not filed by Sleepy Hollow].
The Comptroller’s Office will not comment on the audit, except to say that it will most likely be issued later this fall. Once completed Sleepy Hollow will have 30 days to respond. The State will review any comments, and make any necessary changes to its report before issuing it to the public.
The following statement was taken off of the NY State Comptroller’s website. In an effort to promote government transparency and accountability, Comptroller DiNapoli created Open Book New York, an easy-to-use website providing public access to information on how New York State and its local governments are spending your tax dollars. With taxpayers sensitized to how their tax dollars are being spent, this opportunity for transparency is invaluable.
