ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE [AI] IS NOT USED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN PREPARING NYPPL SUMMARIES OF JUDICIAL AND QUASI-JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Sep 26, 2025

Local government and school audits posted on the Internet on September 25, 2025

On September 25, 2025, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced that the following local government and school audits were posted on the Internet.

Click on the text highlighted in COLOR to access the audit report.


Town of Lee – Financial Management (Oneida County)

The board did not effectively manage the general and highway fund balances, allowing excessive unrestricted fund balances to accumulate. At the end of 2024, the general and highway funds had a total of $8.3 million in unrestricted fund balance. When compared to the general and highway fund appropriations in the town’s 2025 budget, the amount of unrestricted fund balance could fully fund over three and a half years of operations at current spending levels.


Chenango County – Court and Trust Funds

The treasurer generally established adequate procedures, maintained appropriate records and properly reported court and trust funds. However, the treasurer’s court and trust ledger did not contain all required information.


Holtsville Fire District – Financial Management (Suffolk County)

The board did not adopt budgets with reasonable estimates or properly establish and manage capital reserve funds. From 2019 through 2023, the board transferred an additional $1 million into reserve funds. This was 45% more than the $2.2 million in transfers planned, with no indication of the board’s plan to use the funds. The district’s tax levy increased by $771,762 from 2019 to 2024, meaning that real property taxes may have been higher than necessary. The board developed and adopted budgets that resulted in a total operating surplus of $4.8 million between fiscal years 2019 and 2023. Additionally, the board did not properly establish two capital reserve funds.


Spencerport Central School District – Employee Benefits (Monroe County)

District officials did not always appropriately authorize and accurately calculate separation and unused leave payments, resulting in erroneous payments. Of the separation payments totaling $357,327 reviewed, auditors determined that payments totaling $48,058 were not authorized or accurate. As a result, district officials overpaid three employees a total of $14,213 and underpaid one employee $77 for separation payments. Of the unused leave payments totaling $51,851 reviewed, auditors determined that payments totaling $3,045 were not authorized or accurate. Therefore, district officials overpaid two employees a total of $1,715 for unused leave.


Manhasset Union Free School District – Non-Payroll Disbursements (Nassau County)

While the board and district officials generally ensured that the non-payroll disbursements were adequately supported and for valid district purposes, they did not always ensure that the disbursements were properly audited and approved before officials made the disbursements. Auditors reviewed 15 wire transfers totaling $2.4 million and determined officials properly reviewed and approved them. Auditors also reviewed 50 non-payroll disbursements, including 137 invoices, totaling $379,209, and determined that 10 invoices totaling $26,441 were not properly audited or approved before they were paid.


Village of Cato – Audit Follow-Up (Cayuga County)

A previous audit of the Village of Cato – Water Financial Operations (2023M-145) determined that the board and officials did not effectively manage the financial operations of the water fund, establish adequate reserves or develop long-term financial and capital plans until the Cayuga County Health Department forced the board to submit a plan. The audit included 11 recommendations to help village officials better manage operations and of the 11 audit recommendations, officials partially implemented three recommendations and did not implement eight recommendations.

###


NYPPL Publisher Harvey Randall served as Principal Attorney, New York State Department of Civil Service; Director of Personnel, SUNY Central Administration; Director of Research, Governor’s Office of Employee Relations; and Staff Judge Advocate General, New York Guard. Consistent with the Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations, the material posted to this blog is presented with the understanding that neither the publisher nor NYPPL and, or, its staff and contributors are providing legal advice to the reader and in the event legal or other expert assistance is needed, the reader is urged to seek such advice from a knowledgeable professional.

CAUTION

Subsequent court and administrative rulings, or changes to laws, rules and regulations may have modified or clarified or vacated or reversed the information and, or, decisions summarized in NYPPL. For example, New York State Department of Civil Service's Advisory Memorandum 24-08 reflects changes required as the result of certain amendments to §72 of the New York State Civil Service Law to take effect January 1, 2025 [See Chapter 306 of the Laws of 2024]. Advisory Memorandum 24-08 in PDF format is posted on the Internet at https://www.cs.ny.gov/ssd/pdf/AM24-08Combined.pdf. Accordingly, the information and case summaries should be Shepardized® or otherwise checked to make certain that the most recent information is being considered by the reader.
THE MATERIAL ON THIS WEBSITE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. AGAIN, CHANGES IN LAWS, RULES, REGULATIONS AND NEW COURT AND ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS MAY AFFECT THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS LAWBLOG. THE MATERIAL PRESENTED IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE AND THE USE OF ANY MATERIAL POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE, OR CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING SUCH MATERIAL, DOES NOT CREATE AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP.
New York Public Personnel Law. Email: publications@nycap.rr.com