DANBY, N.Y. — The Town of Danby failed to implement any of the 14 recommendations the New York Office of the State Comptroller gave in a 2022 audit.
State auditors said in a recent follow-up report that town officials “were unable to provide reasonable explanation for their lack of action.”
Danby Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon pushed back on this determination in an interview, maintaining the town of Danby had made some progress on the issues identified by the comptroller’s office follow up report, which was released in November.
Gagnon described the follow-up report as “unhelpful” and “disappointing.”
“To read their report you would think we completely ignored them and didn’t do anything, which was a really disappointing action on their part,” Gagnon said.
The state comptroller’s office did not accuse town officials of malfeasance or any wrongdoing in its follow-up report.
In 2022, state auditors found the town did not establish a policy to address health insurance payments associated with the former town supervisor, as well as a reimbursement policy.
The town board approved health insurance reimbursements of about $7,624 for the town’s current highway superintendent despite there being no policy or resolution in place to authorize the reimbursements.
The state comptroller’s office recommended that town officials consult with the town’s attorney to establish such policies, which they failed to do after the 2022 audit.
State auditors also found that town officials continued to approve credit card purchases without adequate documentation even after the 2022 audit recommended against doing so. In total, auditors found the town board approved about $12,600 of purchases without adequate documentation.
The Town of Danby’s credit card policy requires town credit card users to document purchases and verify receipts, and perform an annual credit and compliance audit.
State auditors recommend the town follow its own credit card policy.
Gagnon said the town’s bookkeeper fell about six months behind reviewing credit car purchases and claims. That has led to some of the documentation issues the town has faced.
Danby officials did not deactivate at least two credit cards when a former employee left their role with the town. Those cards were used to make $3,369 in purchases during the initial audit period from Jan. 1, 2020 to July. 11, 2022.
Gagnon said keeping track of credit card bills has been “a little bit sloppy,” and that the town is working to implement the state comptroller’s recommendations.
He said that the town board is in the process of auditing the clerk, the court, and the town supervisor.
“We’re doing it now, but it wasn’t acknowledged” in the state comptroller’s report, Gagnon said.
He added that the town is “pretty darn close to having addressed all the issues” raised by the state comptroller’s office.
State auditors also recommended that the Town of Danby compare price quotes to ensure the town receives the most competitive bid when it makes a purchase or contracts for services.
Soliciting competitive bids is already a town policy, but state auditors said that town officials did did not provide evidence that they compared quotes in 22 different claims with a total expense of $587,600.
Town officials “were unsure why there was no documentation” of the town board’s reviews of quotes and bids, according to state auditors.
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