[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1525 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: HCancro@GreenburghNY.com ]
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UM, TODAY WE HAVE OUR, UH, SPECIAL, UH, WORK SESSION.
AND, UM, JEFF, YOU'RE ON THE, THE LINE SIGNING ON NOW.
WHAT'S SCOTT? WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING WITH OUR AUDITORS.
UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND IF THE BOARD MEMBER IS, UH, ALSO HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, FINE.
UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, START, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REVIEWING THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW.
I WANTED TO MEET WITH YOU JUST TO ASK, UM, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS.
WE DID HAVE A DISCUSSION LAST WEEK, BUT I THOUGHT THAT OTHER BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD BE PRIVY TO IT, AND WE COULD.
THERE'S SOME OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I ALSO, UM, HAVE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU COULD JUST START BY JUST TELLING US EXACTLY WHEN WE CONTRACT FOR WITH AN AUDITOR.
WHAT DO YOU DO, HOW COMPREHENSIVE IT IS, IS THE AUDIT? UH, SURE.
THIS, UH, WE ARE CONTRACTED TO BE THE AUDITORS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE TOWN, AND THE, THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE AUDITORS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IS TO RENDER AN OPINION, UM, THAT THE, THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE, UM, MATERIALLY CORRECT, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNITED STATES GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES.
UM, THE AUDIT IS AS OF A POINT IN TIME, SO IT'S, IT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE YOUR FISCAL YEAR END, DECEMBER 31ST.
UM, THAT INVOLVES, I'M, I'M SPEAKING IN GENERALITIES, BUT IT, IT INVOLVES, UM, DOING A RISK ASSESSMENT OF, OF YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE THINGS COULD GO WRONG AND THINGS COULD BE MISSAY.
AND, AND THAT ALLOWS US TO, UH, FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON CERTAIN AREAS, UH, OF THE FINANCES OF THE TOWN.
DURING THE ACTUAL AUDIT, UH, WE REVIEW INTERNAL CONTROLS, UM, TO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES THAT ARE IN PLACE, BUT WE'RE NOT RENDERING AN OPINION ON, ON THE INTERNAL CONTROLS OF THE TOWN.
UM, WE ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, DOING DETAILED TESTING OF THE BALANCE SHEET ITEMS THAT YOU SEE IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND, FOR INSTANCE, YOU'LL SEE ON THE BALANCE SHEET CASH RECEIVABLES, UM, PAYABLES AND FUND BALANCE.
UM, AND WE LOOK AT ALL THOSE ACCOUNTS AND ESSENTIALLY PICK OUT ANY MATERIAL ITEMS IN THOSE ACCOUNTS THAT WE FEEL WE NEED TO TEST.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT EXPENSES ARE REPORTED IN THE PROPER PERIOD.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, WE'LL LOOK AT, UH, PAYMENTS MADE OVER A SPECIFIC DOLLAR THRESHOLD AFTER YEAR END TO DETERMINE IF THEY WERE PROPERLY RECORDED AS AN EXPENSE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR END.
AND THAT'S HOW WE TEST ACCOUNTS PAYABLE.
UH, FOR ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, WE LOOK AT CASH THAT IS COMING IN AFTER YEAR END TO SEE IF THE RECEIVABLES THAT WERE RECORDED AS OF DECEMBER 3RD FIRST ARE VALID, UH, RECEIVABLES AND COLLECTED.
UM, IF THEY WEREN'T COLLECTED AND IT'S SIGNIFICANT, WE WOULD WANT TO KNOW, UM, WHY THAT WAS THE CASE.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, EVALUATING THE ENTIRE PRESENTATION OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
UM, IT'S NOT JUST THE GENERAL FUND, IT'S THE TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGE FUND, UH, OR THE SPECIAL DISTRICTS, THE WATER FUND, UH, AND ALSO, UH, CONVERSION TO THE FULL ACCRUAL BASIS OF ACCOUNTING, WHICH INVOLVES, UH, REVIEWING THE, THE TOWN'S, UH, CAPITAL ASSETS.
AND SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE DO THERE IS, IS, IS LOOK AT THE, WHAT HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE FIXED ASSETS, YOU KNOW, FROM THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND AND FROM THE WATER FUND.
UH, DETERMINE IF, UH, ALL ALL MATERIAL TRANSACTIONS THAT WERE, UH, FIXED ASSET RELATED WERE PROPERLY ADDED OR NOT ADDED.
UM, ALSO THE PENSION DISCLOSURES, UH, WHICH ARE SIGNIFICANT FOR, YOU KNOW, MOST TOWN GOVERNMENTS IN THIS REGION, UH, HAVE TO BE REVIEWED FOR COMPLETE DISCLOSURE.
OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT OBLIGATION, UH, DISCLOSURES NEED TO BE REVIEWED.
UM, OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES WE'RE REVIEWING, UH, THE BONDS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING.
ANY DEBT THAT'S OUTSTANDING FOR, FOR INSTANCE, YOU COULD HAVE A BOND ANTICIPATION NOTE OUTSTANDING.
WE WANNA LOOK AT THE DOCUMENTS SURROUNDING THAT, UH, MAKE SURE THE PAYMENTS WERE MADE, THAT THE PAYMENTS AGREED TO THE, TO THE GENERAL LEDGER, UM, AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
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UH, IT'S NOT A REVIEW OF YOUR INTERNAL CONTROLS AND IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY TO ALLOW US TO RENDER AN OPINION ON WHETHER THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE, UH, MATERIALLY CORRECT.UH, DO YOU FEEL, UH, I THINK SOME COMMUNITIES AROUND NEW YORK STATE AND AROUND POSSIBLY AROUND THE NATION, UM, DO MORE EXTENSIVE, UM, UH, AUDITS, UH, YOU KNOW, EITHER FORENSIC AUDITS.
DO YOU FEEL THAT WHEN THE TOWN CONTRACTS WITH YOUR COMPANY, THAT WE WOULD BE, UH, IT WOULD BE, UM, PRUDENT TO, UH, HAVE A MORE EXTENSIVE AUDIT? UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, SO WE WOULD HAVE A BETTER PR UNDERSTANDING OF, SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE BETTER CONTROLS ON ANNUAL BASIS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? I'M ASKING, IT COULD BE EITHER ANNUAL OR IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, PERIODIC.
WHY WOULD YOUR RECOMMENDATION BE? SO THAT WOULD BE, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE BOARD, UM, WHETHER THEY FEEL THEY WANT THAT THE BOARD WANTS THAT DONE OR NOT.
UM, WE'VE SEEN THAT DONE AT SOME OF OUR OTHER CLIENTS.
IT COULD BE AN ANNUAL, UM, IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, RECURRING.
UM, SOME LARGER MUNICIPALITIES HAVE, UH, UH, AN INTERNAL AUDIT DEPARTMENT AND, AND, AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
OR YOU COULD CONTRACT WITH A FIRM TO BE, TO BE AN INTERNAL AUDITOR AND THEY COULD LOOK AT MORE, IN MORE DETAIL PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES.
UM, THEY, THEY COULD FOCUS ON ONE SPECIFIC AREA.
WE CANNOT, AS FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDITORS, WE CAN'T JUST FOCUS ON ONE SPECIFIC AREA.
WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING.
AND, AND, AND OF COURSE LEADS US TO THE, TO THE AREAS WHERE THERE'S MO MOST TRANSACTIONS, THE BIGGEST DOLLARS, THE MATERIAL DOLLARS.
THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE'RE FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION.
UM, SO I, I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T ADVISE AGAINST HAVING, YOU KNOW, AN INTERNAL REVIEW OR, UH, INTERNAL AUDIT, SO TO SPEAK.
OR I'VE ALSO SEEN, UM, MUNICIPALITIES ASK FOR OPERATIONAL REVIEWS, WHICH IS ALSO DIFFERENT FROM A FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT IN THAT YOU'RE REALLY DIGGING INTO POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND, AND THAT COULD ALSO ENCOMPASS NON-FINANCIAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
UM, IF, IF IT'S NOT FINANCIALLY RELATED, WE WOULDN'T EVEN, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY WOULDN'T COME UP DURING A FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, VOTING ON, UM, YOU KNOW, A CONTRACT, UH, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR FIRM.
SO DO YOU FEE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING A FORENSIC AUDIT, UH, UP TILL THE YEAR 2023.
WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO EXPAND WHEN WE VOTE ON THE AUDIT TO INCLUDE THE OPERATION AUDIT OR YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE OPERATION AUDIT OR THE MORE ELABORATE ORDER AUDIT AT THE SAME TIME YOU'RE DOING THE AUDIT OF THE 2020, I GUESS YOU'RE DOING 2020 I VOTED LAST NIGHT.
YEAH, I'M SAYING, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO, AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE I WANT TO, I'M MORE INTERESTED IN NOT GOING BACKWARDS.
I'M INTERESTED IN GOING FORWARD AND SEEING WHY WE'RE DOING WRONG IF WE'RE DOING ANYTHING WRONG, NOT THAT WE ARE.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY GENERALLY ABOUT A FORENSIC AUDIT, USUALLY, UH, WHEN A FORENSIC AUDITOR IS CALLED IN, WHEN SOMETHING SPECIFIC HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED INCORRECTLY, THAT WAS, THAT WAS INCORRECT OR ANOMALY OF SOME SORT.
UM, I'M TALKING MORE ABOUT INTERNAL AUDITS OR OPERATIONAL REVIEWS.
THEY TEND TO FOCUS MORE ON POLICIES, PROCEDURES, BEST PRACTICES, UM, WAYS TO, FOR THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE ITS OPERATIONS.
AND I, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S WHAT THE TOWN MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR, UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND, YOU KNOW, BUT WHATEVER THE, THE TOWN WANTS, OBVIOUSLY THE TOWN FEEL, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN SHOULD, SHOULD, SHOULD DO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I WOULD JUST, I, I WOULD MAYBE SAY GOING FORWARD, YOU COULD, YOU COULD, UH, CONTRACT WITH A FIRM, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, AN OPERATIONAL REVIEW OR, YOU KNOW, TO FOCUS ON CURRENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, THAT THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION THAT THE TOWN COULD DO.
AGAIN, ANY BOARD MEMBER, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, JUST, UH, BECAUSE I HAVE A BUNCH OF THEM.
UM, WHEN WE SPOKE, UM, LAST WEEK, UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUSLY, UM, UH, YOU HAD RECOMMENDED, UM, UH, TO ROBERTA ROMANO, WHO IS, UM, THE FORMER CONTROLLER THAT WE, UM, UM, GIVE BACK MONEY THAT HADN'T BEEN, YOU KNOW, SPENT.
UM, OUR NEW CONTROLLER, KIMBERLY, UH, SHE'S DOING THE SAME,
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HAS RECOMMENDED GIVING BACK, UH, MONEY.HOW, UM, IS A CUSTOMER TO ALLOW CUSTOMER, UM, UH, CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDING TO BE OPEN AND UNUSED? AND AFTER HOW MANY YEARS DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE BASICALLY CANCEL THE PROJECT? SO USUALLY IT'S, WE LOOK, WE LOOK FOR, AS AUDITORS, INACTIVE PROJECTS FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE IN, IN DEFICITS TO SAY, OKAY, WHAT, WHERE'S FUNDING NEEDED? SO THAT, THAT'S ONE PART.
UH, THE SECOND PART IS IF A PROJECT IS INACTIVE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S MULTIPLE YEARS, WE ASK OUR CLIENTS TO REVIEW THOSE PROJECTS.
IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO OCCUR, YOU HAVE TO, YOU SHOULD CLOSE THE PROJECT AND SEND IT BACK TO THE FUNDING SOURCE THAT IT ORIGINATED FROM.
SO IN THE CASE OF A, UH, A PROJECT FUNDED THROUGH A SERIAL BOND, THE TOWN WOULD BE REQUIRED TO SEND THOSE FUNDS TO A DEBT SERVICE RESERVE.
NOW, THAT DEBT SERVICE RESERVE WOULD, IT ALSO BENEFITS THE TOWN IN THAT THOSE FUNDS CAN BE USED, UM, TO OFFSET THE, THE, THE FUTURE DEBT COSTS.
SO IT'S, SO, AND THERE'S ALSO SOME, UM, ARBITRAGE, UH, RULES THAT REALLY IS MORE IN THE PURVIEW OF YOUR BOND COUNSEL AND YOUR FISCAL ADVISORS.
'CAUSE UM, THEY, THEY KNOW THOSE RULES MUCH MORE SPECIFICALLY.
UH, GENERALLY THEY GENERALLY, THEY WANT THE PRO THE BONDED FUNDS TO BE SPENT IN THREE YEARS, UH, OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
SO THEY WOULD ADVISE, LIKELY ADVISE AGAINST HANGING ONTO THOSE BONDED FUNDS, UH, FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS.
OF COURSE, IF IT'S, IF IT'S NOT SIGNIFICANT, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT STORY, BUT, UM, OF SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND UNSPENT, YOU KNOW, YOU'D BE, YOU'D, YOU'D WANT TO SEND THAT OVER TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, UM, UH, THE CONTROLLER, UH, SHE INDICATED THAT WE HAVE, I THINK SHE SAID IT WAS ABOUT 30, $30 MILLION IN RESTRICTED, UM, YOU KNOW, FUNDS.
UM, DO WE, UM, AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, UH, USE THE RESTRICTED, UM, FUND BA I MEAN RESTRICTED FUND BALANCE TO BRING DOWN THE TAX RATE.
UM, DOES THE TOWN BOARD HAVE THE ABILITY TO UNRESTRICT FUND, UH, OUR FUND BALANCE, UM, COSTS? UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, ON THAT? UM, UH, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO GIVE US MORE FLEXIBILITY AND NOT TO HAVE A RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS? UM, IT, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH RESTRICTED FUND BALANCE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO CAN YOU, UH, ELABORATE WHICH, WHICH RESTRICTED FUND BALANCE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? DIDN'T, DIDN'T, UH, IS KIMBERLY ON? NO, SHE'S, SHE TOLD YOU EARLIER IN THE WEEK THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS MEETING.
RIGHT? IT'S, UM, IT, I THINK IT'S THE, THE BUILDING, THE BUILDING PERMIT.
WASN'T THAT THE BUILDING, UH, BUILDING PERMIT? THAT'S WHAT SHE, THAT'S WHAT I THINK THAT'S WHAT SHE HAD SAID.
BUT THEY MAY, DO YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE SHE SAID? I THINK IT WAS COURTHOUSE.
SO THE COURTHOUSE, I CAN, I CAN SPEAK TO THE COURTHOUSE 'CAUSE AND, AND THAT WE DID DISCUSS, UH, LAST WEEK.
UM, THE COURTHOUSE IS CURRENTLY BEING HOUSED IN AN ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE CATEGORY.
I, I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN TO YOU, TO THE BOARD THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF FUND BALANCE IN GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS AND SOME OF THE RULES SURROUNDING THOSE, UM, DIFFERENT COMPONENTS.
UH, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, SO JUST FOR, FOR GENERAL UNDERSTANDING, AND SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE FIRST CATEGORY IS CALLED NONS SPENDABLE FUND BALANCE.
AND THOSE ARE ITEMS THAT ARE GENERALLY IN, NOT IN SPENDABLE FORM.
THE TOWN DOES NOT HAVE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF NONS SPENDABLE FUND BALANCE.
THE, THE ONLY NONS SPENDABLE FUND BALANCE, UM, CURRENTLY THAT I'M SEEING IS RELATED TO PREPAID EXPENDITURES.
SO BECAUSE THE TOWN HAS ALREADY SPENT CASH ON INVOICES RELATED TO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THE ACCOUNTING STANDARDS DICTATE YOU HAVE TO SET UP THAT NONS SPENDABLE FUND BALANCE.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T SPEND MONEY YOU'VE ALREADY SPENT.
GENERALLY YOU CAN'T, YOU GENERALLY CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH NONS.
SPENDABLE FUND BALANCE RESTRICTED FUNDS ARE LEGALLY RESTRICTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SOME SORT OF STATE LAW, GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW, UM, OR RESTRICTED BY A DONOR OR A CONTRIBUTOR.
THEY CAN ONLY BE USED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW.
SO THAT'S A MORE RESTRICTIVE FUND BALANCE, BUT IT CAN BE USED FOR THOSE PURPOSES.
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I MENTIONED THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, DEBT SERVICE RESERVE, ALL THE FUNDS IN A DEBT SERVICE FUND ARE RESTRICTED AND CAN ONLY BE USED FOR FUTURE DEBT SERVICE COSTS.SO THE TOWN CAN APPROPRIATE, YOU CAN'T APPROPRIATE MORE THAN THE BONDS THAT IT RELATES TO, BUT YOU ARE ABLE TO USE THOSE FUNDS DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS TO OFFSET, UM, THE DEBT, THE DEBT COST RELATED TO THOSE BONDS.
IT JUST HAS TO BE DONE DURING THE BUDGETARY PROCESS.
UM, ANYTHING THAT'S RESTRICTED FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS IS ALREADY EARMARKED.
IT'S BONDED FUNDS OR IT'S TRANSFERRED FUNDS.
THE TOWN BOARD HAS ALREADY RESTRICTED THOSE FUNDS, EITHER BY ISSUING THE BOND OR TRANSFERRING THE FUNDS OVER TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO YOU CAN ONLY SPEND THEM ON THOSE PROJECTS.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU'RE KIND OF LOCKED INTO TO THOSE.
UM, THERE'S ANOTHER COMPONENT, TWO OTHER COMPONENTS OF FUND BALANCE WHERE YOU HAVE SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY AND THEY'RE IN THE COMMITTED AND ASSIGNED THE ACCOUNTING STANDARDS DICTATE, COMMITTED FUND BALANCE HAS TO BE SET UP VIA RESOLUTION OF THE GOVERNING BOARD.
SO AS SOON AS THE TOWN DOES A BOARD RESOLUTION, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE'RE GONNA SET ASIDE FUNDS FOR WE TECH SERGEIS, YOU KNOW, FUTURE, FUTURE TAX, TERTIARY COSTS.
THAT'S A BOARD LEVEL COMMITMENT.
THE BOARD CAN REVERSE THAT IF IT FEELS IT DOESN'T NEED THAT, THOSE FUNDS, IT WOULD NEED ANOTHER RESOLUTION TO UN UNCOMMIT THE FUNDS.
WITH THE COURT, UM, WE BASICALLY, WE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT AT A COURTHOUSE FOR MANY, MANY, YOU KNOW, YEARS.
AND WE HADN'T SPENT, YOU KNOW, SPENT THE MONEY.
SO, UM, UH, ALTHOUGH WE HAD RESERVED, UM, MONEY FOR THE COURTHOUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE BASICALLY, UM, DECIDED THAT SINCE WE WEREN'T SPENDING THE MONEY, UM, THE BUDGET, UM, BA THAT WAS APPROVED, BASICALLY USED IT TO BRING DOWN OTHER, OTHER COSTS.
AND I THINK WHAT YOU SAID LAST WEEK WAS, UH, IF WE MADE A MISTAKE, IT WAS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT BY A SEPARATE RESOLUTION.
WAS IS THAT, LET ME, LET ME ASK A QUESTION.
UM, JUST, JUST QUESTIONING THAT.
I THOUGHT WE WERE ACCUMULATING MONIES FOR THE COURTHOUSE AND, AND BUILDING UP THE MONIES EACH YEAR BY ALLOCATING FUNDS TO IT.
IT WASN'T A MATTER OF NOT HAVING BEEN USED.
WE WERE ACCRUING FUND SO THAT IT WOULD THEN BE ABLE TO OFFSET THE COST OF A COURTHOUSE, WHICH FAR EXCEEDED WHAT WE HAD COLLECTED UP TO THAT POINT BEFORE IT, BEFORE YOU HAD DECIDED TO USE IT.
WELL, IT WAS THE WHOLE BOARD VOTED ON BUDGET.
WELL, NO, WE, WE DIDN'T VOTE ON A RESOLUTION TO TAKE THAT, THOSE MONEY.
WE VOTED TO RESERVE MONEY FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
THE BOARD ALSO VOTED ON THE, THE, THE FINAL BUDGET.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S THE POINT.
WE VOTED ON THE FINAL BUDGET AND THE FINAL BUDGET SAID RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ISSUE HERE.
AND TO SAY WE HAVEN'T USED IT.
WELL, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? THE FIRST YEAR WE PUT, UH, $12,000 TOWARDS, TOWARDS THE COURTHOUSE.
UH, AND THEN WE WENT TO 7.4 MILLION.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T START THE FOUNDATION WITHOUT ANY MONEY TO DO ANYTHING ABOVE THE FOUNDATION, YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST PUT IT BACK.
NO, I I'M SAYING YOU'RE THE LIAISON, UH, TO THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AND YOU EXACTLY.
AS LIAISON, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO READ THE BUDGET.
AND YOU VOTED ON A FINAL BUDGET THAT INCLUDED MONEY'S FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
WHAT DOES THE FINAL BOOK SAY? THE FINAL, WELL, LET, UH, UH, THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING.
I'M JUST SAYING YOU'RE THE LIAISON TO THE, UH, CONTROLLER AND YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT THE FINAL BOOK, PAUL, YOU'RE THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING INTO.
WELL, I, I'M, I'M CONFIDENT THAT I DID THE RIGHT THING.
SO LET ME JUST, UH, I'M JUST, WITHOUT, WITHOUT CONVERSATION, THE REST OF THE BOARD, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT, THAT THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS AND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, YOU MAY HAVE CONVENIENT MEMORY OR YOU DO OF LOSSES, BUT THE THING IS, HAVE CO MEMORY.
ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT I KNOW THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE DID WITH THE BUDGET WAS DISCLOSED.
SO, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, UM, LET, LET ME LET, I'M GONNA SEND YOU THIS PAGE.
IT'S FROM YOUR TENTATIVE BUDGET.
IT'S PAGE 22 FROM THE 2022 BUDGET.
AND COULD YOU SAY WHAT THE MONEY IS FOR? WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M NOT, CAN YOU SAY WHAT THE MONEY IS FOR? FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT GONNA GO GUESS.
I'M NOT GETTING INTO A DEBATE.
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TOWN OF GREENBURG, TENTATIVE BUDGET EXPENSE ACCOUNTS, THERE IS ON ITEM NUMBER A 1 9 8 9 DASH 5 4 9 0 5 RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH THE ACTUAL 29,000, THE BUDGET FOR 2021, 12,500, REVISED BUDGET, 12,000 514 4, ACTUAL AS OF 10 29 21, 1 6100, ESTIMATE FOR 10 21 FOR 20 21, 100 70,000 TENTATIVE BUDGET, 2022, SEVEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED SEVEN MILLION FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND.
AND IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT PAGE THAT USES THE WORD RESERVE? NO, THERE'S NOT.
SO WHAT WE VOTED FOR, YOU KNEW IN THAT BUDGET, WHAT WE VOTED FOR WAS TO RESERVE MONEY FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
OKAY, WELL, LOOK, I'M ASKING, I'M ASKING JEFF, YOU GUYS MOVE ON HIRED.
I'M ASKING JEFF, YOU'RE NOT PART OF THIS MEETING, OKAY, PLEASE.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I, YOU DON'T TREAT CITIZENS WITH LACK OF RESPECT.
SO THE THING IS, MR. MR. SAM HAS A RIGHT TO BE HERE, AND HE DOESN HAVE A RIGHT TO HERE.
I DID NOT, HE DOESN'T HAVE A RIGHT TO BE YELLED AT.
HE'S CONCERNED ABOUT THE TOWN.
UM, SO, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, OKAY? AND HE DOES NOT HAVE RESPECT.
AND EVERY, EVERY RE EVERY RESIDENT OF THE TOWN WHO SHOWS UP HAS TO GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RESPECT, WHETHER WE OR NOT TAXPAYER.
AND SO DO THE BOARD MEMBERS, OKAY? TAXPAYERS DESERVE, WHEN YOU RESERVE MONEY FOR A COURTHOUSE, THEY HAVE A RIGHT.
I'M THINK THAT $39 MILLION WAS RESERVED FOR A COURTHOUSE THAT YOU THEN SPENT ON OTHER THINGS.
WELL, THE BOARD DID, BECAUSE THE BOARD, BOTH, WE VOTED ON THE BUDGET, NEED THE BUDGET IN THE FUTURE.
THAT SAID, LEMME ASK, WHICH SAID, AUDITOR, LET ME, LET ME ASK.
I I'M NOT ASKING YOU, I'M JUST ASKING.
SO IN THE FUTURE, WHERE'S RESPECT THERE? SO YOU TELL US, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED DIFFERENTLY OR, OR BETTER IN THE FUTURE, OR, YOU KNOW, OR WHAT, WHAT WE DID, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD WE DO IN THE FUTURE, UM, TO AVOID THIS TYPE OF MISUNDERSTANDING, IF, UM, IF, YOU KNOW, CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD WE DO OR SHOULD DO? SO WE ADVISED, I I, WE ADVISED YOU, UM, WHEN YOU ASKED US TO LOOK, TAKE A LOOK AT THE, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE 23, UH, TENTATIVE BUDGET.
AND THIS DID STAND OUT, AND IT WAS, AND WE DISCUSSED IT, AND WE MADE A RECOMMENDATION AT THAT TIME FOR THE BOARD TO PASS A RESOLUTION TO ASSIGN THE FUND DOWN.
BECAUSE IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AND, AND MAYBE MY UNDERSTANDING WAS NOT CORRECT 'CAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE BACKGROUND, BUT THE, THE COURTHOUSE APPROPRIATION WASN'T INTENDED TO BE IN IT ONE YEAR, IN ADDITION TO THE NEXT, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A ONE YEAR ITEM.
SO YOU HAD THE 7.4 MILLION IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S BUDGET.
INSTEAD OF BUDGETING IT EVERY YEAR, WE RECOMMENDED THAT YOU ASSIGN THE FUND BALANCE THAT YEAR MARKS THE FUND BALANCE.
SO NOW, AND, AND THAT'S WHEN IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, YOU SEE THAT CATEGORY ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, UH, SHOW UP BECAUSE THE BOARD PASSED THAT RESOLUTION.
UM, I WOULD ADVISE THAT YOU FOLLOW THAT PROCESS.
IF, IF THERE'S AN INTENTION TO SET ASIDE MONEY FOR FUNDS, YOU SHOULD, THE BOARD SHOULD ALSO PASS A RESOLUTION SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA OFFICIALLY EARMARK OR ASSIGN WHATEVER THE, WHATEVER THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS FOR THE COURTHOUSE OR FOR, FOR WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UM, THAT WAY THERE'S A TOWN BOARD RESOLUTION SUPPORTING IT.
IT, AND NOBODY, I IT, I THINK IT WOULD LEAD TO LESS QUESTION ISSUES I GOING FORWARD.
I AGREE, BUT, WELL, I, I, BUT I REMEMBER WE HAD THAT MEETING, I THINK I, ROBERTA ROMANO'S OFFICE, AND I THINK ELLEN, YOU WERE AT THAT MEETING.
THAT WAS AT MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH YOU, I THINK WITH EL, BECAUSE ELLEN AND, UM, UM, AND, UM, I THINK THERE WAS LIKE ONE OTHER PERSON I FORGOT.
UM, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE GOING OVER, UH, THE BUDGET BECAUSE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE MAJOR, YOU KNOW, I, I WANTED TO HAVE YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHETHER WE DO DOING THINGS RIGHT OR WRONG, BUT IN THE FUTURE, IF WE THERE'S ANYTHING ASSIGNED, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A RESOLUTION.
SO I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATION.
UM, ANOTHER, OH, THAT WAS FOR THE 2022 BUDGET, RIGHT? WHEN I WASN'T, WAS THAT 23? THIS WAS, IT WAS FOR 2022, WHICH MEANS IT WAS IN 2021 TO ADOPT THAT BUDGET, WHICH WASN'T A BOARD MEMBER.
I KNOW YOU, BUT, BUT I JUST POINTED OUT ONE ENTRY FOR ONE YEAR.
IN OTHER YEARS THERE WAS $12.5 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR THAT PARTICULAR YEAR.
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AND ANOTHER YEAR THERE WAS ANOTHER 25, UH, 2012 $0.5 MILLION.THEY, AS THE TOWN CONTROLLER HAS ADDED UP, ALL THOSE INDIVIDUAL APPROPRIATION OR, UH, BUDGET NUMBERS TO GET TO $39 MILLION WAS RESERVED BY RESOLUTION BECAUSE WE ADOPT THESE BUDGETS BY RESOLUTION TO RESERVE MONEY FOR A COURTHOUSE.
NOW, WHAT I NOW UNDERSTAND IS THAT BEHIND THE SCENES, NOT BEHIND THAT MONEY WAS NEVER, EVERYTHING WAS DISCUSSED.
I DIDN'T INTERRUPT YOU, PAUL, I DIDN'T INTERRUPT.
YOU HONOR, BEHIND THE SCENES, EVEN THOUGH IT SAID RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE $39 MILLION, THAT THE MONEY ACTUALLY WASN'T PUT INTO RESERVES, THAT WOULD PROTECT IT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN WE GOT TO THE 7.4 TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH GA SB, UM, THE RESOLUTION STATES, WE NEED TO DO THIS TO RESERVE IT.
BUT THE PERSON LOOKING AT THESE BUDGETS WOULD THINK THAT BECAUSE IT SAYS RESERVED FOR COURTHOUSE, THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY BEING RESERVED FOR COURTHOUSE AND IT WASN'T BEING STATED AS RESERVED FOR COURTHOUSE, BUT YOU PUT IT INTO THE FUND BALANCE AND USE IT FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY THIS BUDGET READ.
AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ONE YEAR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MULTIPLE YEARS THAT THAT WAS PUT IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE OVERINFLATE THE BUDGET, MAKE IT APPEAR IT'S FOR A GOOD CAUSE, AND THEN USE IT FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT.
WELL, WE USED IT TO BRING DOWN THE TAXES AND YOU VOTED FOR IT, AND I FOR IT, AND I BELIEVE THAT I VOTED FOR RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE, I BELIEVE.
WE, WE DID NOT VOTE TO PUT THE MONEY INTO FUND BALANCE.
WELL, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE POINT ALL, WELL, I DIDN'T VOTE THAT ALL, ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT I KNOW THAT THE BOARD KNEW ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU'RE VERY DETAIL ORIENTED.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I DID NOT HIDE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PURPOSE OF YOU OF HIDING IT.
BECAUSE I BASICALLY THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I FELT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE BOARD BASICALLY ALWAYS LOOKS AT THE BUDGET LINE BY LINE AND MAKES THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SHOULDN'T BE FOCUSING ON GOING BACKWARDS.
WE SHOULD FOCUS ON GOING FORWARD.
WE HAVE TO, NO, WE, WE GOING, GOING FORWARD.
THERE'LL BE RELU IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES IN ANYTHING THAT'S ALLOCATE RESERVED, THERE'LL BE, WE'LL, WE'LL FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT THERE'S A RESOLUTION BY THE FULL BOARD, UH, TO, UM, UNRESTRICT THOSE FUNDS.
THAT'S, SO YOU MADE THE POINT.
AND IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
I HAVE, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, LEMME JUST SAY, UM, IN YOUR OPINION, UM, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR FIRM, YOU KNOW, UM, WAS IN A PO WAS IN A POSITION OF RECOMMENDING OR IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN AN OPERATIONS AUDIT.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD SEE IN TERMS OF THE WAY WE COULD CHANGE OUR SYSTEMS ON, OR PO POSSIBLY ON DOING SOME OUTSOURCING THAT, UH, WOULD MAKE THE OPERATION OF FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT, UH, OR ANY, OR ANY DEPARTMENTS IN THE TOWN, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE EFFICIENT.
IN FACT, YESTERDAY SOMEBODY, UM, UH, SPOKE AT THE BOARD MEETING AND THEY, THEY WANTED TO KNOW, THEY RECOMMENDED THAT WE USE AI AND I'M WONDERING IF ANY OF YOUR CLIENTS HAVE USED AI OR ARE USING IT AND IF IT'S, IF IT'S BEEN HELPFUL TO THEM IN TERMS OF RUNNING A MORE EFFICIENT OPERATION.
THE AI IS, UM, HUGE IN, IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE MARKETPLACE RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE A LITTLE SLOWER THAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO, UM, TO UTILIZE NEW TECHNOLOGY.
AND I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY AI INITIATIVES BY ANY OF MY CLIENTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD OR SEEN OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE EXPLORE IT USING AI AND DO YOU THINK THAT GOING FORWARD, THAT IT COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE TOWN? THAT'S A LITTLE, I WOULD SAY THAT'S OUTSIDE OF MY, MY REALM.
UM, AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY TYPE, UH, REVIEW OR AUDIT MIGHT BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, UH, ITEMS SUCH AS THAT.
RIGHT? AND I, I WOULD JUST ADD ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN JEFF'S SPEAKING ABOUT AN OPERATIONAL REVIEW, OBVIOUSLY YOU'D BRING SOMEBODY IN AND YOU'D HAVE A PARTICULAR AREA.
OBVIOUSLY THE TOWN IS VERY COMPLEX.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SAY, OH, LET'S DO AN OPERATIONAL AUDIT OF THE ENTIRE TOWN, BECAUSE THAT COULD BE VERY COST PROHIBITIVE, YOU KNOW, AS WELL TO LOOK AT A LOT OF THINGS.
[00:30:01]
SO YOU MAY WANNA FOCUS IN ON A PARTICULAR AREA OR TWO AND, YOU KNOW, NOT TRY TO GET EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE, BUT TO REALLY FOCUS IN AREAS WHERE YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES.THIS IS VERY, IT'S ALMOST SIMILAR.
AND AS JEFF TALKED BEFORE ABOUT INTERNAL, YOU KNOW, LIKE HAVING AN INTERNAL AUDIT DEPARTMENT OR AN INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES ARE, YOU KNOW, EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT.
UH, WE SEE THAT AS PART OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AUDITS EVERY YEAR, BECAUSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE MANDATED BY NEW YORK STATE MANY YEARS AGO, I THINK MORE THAN 15, 20 YEARS AGO NOW AT THIS POINT, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BESIDES HAVING AN EXTERNAL AUDITOR LIKE WE DO FOR YOU THAT FUNCTION, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO HAVE AN INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION AND A CLAIMS AUDIT FUNCTION.
SO THEY HAVE EITHER THEY HIRE, UH, AN INTERNAL AUDITOR THAT COULD BE A, A A, YOU KNOW, A A A DEPARTMENT OR AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SCHOOL, COULD BE, UH, I'M SORRY, IT COULD BE A CLAIMS AUDITOR AND, AND LOOK AT CLAIMS OR THEY CONTRACT OUT WITH OUTSIDE COMPANIES TO REVIEW ALL THEIR, YOU KNOW, BIWEEKLY CLAIMS PAYMENTS, UH, BESIDES PAYROLL.
UH, AND THEN THEY HAVE THE INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTION WHERE THEY USUALLY HIRE LIKE AN OUTSIDE ACCOUNTING FIRM.
AND THE ACCOUNTING FIRM GIVES THEM WHAT'S KNOWN AS A RISK ASSESSMENT.
AND THEY WILL LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT VARIOUS FUNCTIONS THAT A SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, DOES ALL THEIR DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL AREAS.
AND WHAT NEW YORK STATE REQUIRES IS THAT THE SCHOOL PICK ONE AREA AT MINIMUM OF ONE AREA A YEAR TO DO A DEEP DIVE.
SO THE, THE, THE, THE INTERNAL AUDITOR PROVIDES KIND OF LIKE A FRAMEWORK AND SAYS, HEY, THESE ARE 10 AREAS AND WE RANK THEM, YOU KNOW, ONE TO 10 OF HIGH PRIORITY TO LOW PRIORITY.
AND IT WOULD THEN BE THE SCHOOL BOARD OR THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT WOULD SAY, OKAY, WE'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON THIS AREA THIS YEAR.
THEN THAT FIRM WOULD COME BACK, DO A DEEP DIVE IN THAT AREA, AND PROVIDE A REPORT TO THAT, TO THAT SCHOOL BOARD OF, OF EITHER RECOMMENDATIONS OR SAYING, HEY, WE LOOKED AT THIS AREA AND YOU GUYS DO A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH IT.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOME OF THE STUFF THAT, THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THESE INTERNAL AUDITS OR OPERATIONAL AUDITS.
AND THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY SEPARATE FROM THE WORK THAT JEFF AND I DO REGARDING THE, THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT.
THE, UH, 10 A ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY HUGE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, UM, THAT WE PAY FOR.
UM, AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE COULD GET LIKE, MORE SPECIFICS ON THE ACTUAL COSTS OF EACH DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MA YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE COURTHOUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY, WHEN YOU ADD UP ALL THE BENEFITS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND ALL THE INSURANCE, UM, UH, THAT IT'S COSTING, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE HAVE A REAL GOOD UNDERSTANDING WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE MAKING MONEY, LOSING MONEY, HOW MUCH WE'RE LOSING, HOW MUCH EACH, UH, EVERY, EVERY DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, COSTING, YOU KNOW, COSTING US.
AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD TIGHTEN UP ON OR, OR PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH MORE, MORE INFORMATION ON WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I COULD PUT IN, OH, WE'RE HIRING SOMEBODY AND THEY'LL LOOK AT A SALARY AND IT SAYS $80,000 AND THERE'S SO MANY EXTRA COSTS, YOU KNOW, INVOLVED.
SO I, I WILL SAY THAT WE LOOK AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT, WE AUDIT A LOT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN, IN THE AREA, SO WE SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENT BUDGETS AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, WAY THINGS ARE DONE.
THERE'S TWO OPTIONS IN TERMS OF BUDGETING FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
AND I BELIEVE BOTH ARE ALLOWABLE UNDER THE STATE, YOU KNOW, CHARTER OF ACCOUNTS YOU'RE SPEAKING TO, THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ARE KIND OF UNALLOCATED, NOT, NOT SHOWN, YOU KNOW, NOT SHOWN WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, NOT SHOWN WITHIN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, THEY'RE JUST LUMPED IN TOGETHER AS ONE, UH, AS ONE LINE ITEM, YOU KNOW, UH, SEPARATE FROM DEPARTMENTS, SOME MUNICIPALITIES, AND USUALLY IT'S THE LARGER ONES, UH, THE COUNTIES TEND TO DO IT.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COUNTY BUDGET, I BELIEVE YOU'LL SEE IT WHERE THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ARE ALLOCATED TO EACH DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND YOU WOULDN'T SEE, YOU KNOW, HEALTH INSURANCE AS ONE LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET.
YOU WOULD SEE IT IN VARIOUS PIECES WITHIN, WITHIN EVERY DEPARTMENT.
THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEONE'S LOOKING AT THE
[00:35:01]
BUDGET OR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, THEY WOULD SEE THE TOTAL COST OF THAT DEPARTMENT, TOTAL COST OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, OR, OR WHATEVER DEPARTMENT YOU'RE, YOU MIGHT REFER TO.UM, THAT WOULD INVOLVE PROBABLY CHANGING A LOT OF INTERNAL SYSTEMS TO DO THAT ACCOUNTING.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO ALLOCATE ALL THOSE COSTS TO THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
IT DOES ADD COMPLEXITY, BUT IT MAY GIVE YOU A BETTER FLAVOR ON WHAT EACH DEPARTMENT'S ACTUALLY COSTING YOU TOWN.
YOU KNOW, FOR THAT, UM, UH, THIS IS LIKE A RECOLLECTION, UH, IN TERMS OF THE FUND BALANCE.
UH, WE WERE TALKING WHERE SOME PEOPLE HAD RECOMMENDED THAT WE INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CAP ON, UM, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THE FUND BALANCE.
THIS IS JUST A RECOLLECTION, SORRY, SORT OF FORGET ALL THE DETAILS, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, UM, WE COULD OR SHOULDN'T DO THAT WOULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF, UH, FUTURE BUDGETS? SO YOU'RE REFERRING TO YOUR FUND BALANCE POLICY, RIGHT? YOUR, THE TOWN BOARD ADOPTED A FUND BALANCE POLICY.
THE GENERAL FUND, UM, UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE SHOULD BE BETWEEN ONE AND ONE AND A HALF PERCENT OF THE TOTAL WARRANTS COLLECTED.
UH, THAT'S GONNA GROW EVERY YEAR AS THE WARRANTS GROW, OBVIOUSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT COULD, THE TOWN BOARD IS CERTAINLY WITHIN ITS PURVIEW TO UPDATE THE POLICY IF IT FELT BETWEEN ONE AND 2% GIVES A GREATER FLEXIBILITY.
UM, THE 1% I THINK IS, IS APPROVED IN, UH, FLOOR AS YOU KNOW, THAT THE, THE A FUND THAT'S FOR THE A FUND, THE A FUND'S MAKING ALL THE SCHOOLS WHOLE AND, AND THE COUNTY WHOLE AND AND SUCH.
AND YOUR FUND BALANCE IS THERE TO ABSORB ANY, UM, SHOCKS IN, IN, IN THE TAX COLLECTION.
SO IF THE TAX COLLECTIONS GO DOWN, YOU KNOW, YOUR FUND BALANCE IS WHAT IT'S, IT'S HOW ARE YOU GONNA MAKE THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHOLE, UM, UNTIL YOU CAN GET PAID BACK, UH, THROUGH TAX LIENS OR, OR FORECLOSURES OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO I, I DO THINK THE FLOOR IS PROBABLY IN A GOOD SPOT.
UH, THE TOWN BOARD COULD CONSIDER INCREASING THE, THE, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE CAP, UH, FROM 1.5 POSSIBLY TO TWO.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY AN OPINION TYPE QUESTION.
AND THAT'S REALLY WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE TOWN.
IT'S A POLICY DECISION, RIGHT? YES.
SO I WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN, IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE, UH, THE POLICY AND THE REASON WHY WE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE THE CAP, UM, NEEDLESSLY HIGH IS BECAUSE YOU'RE REALLY HOLDING ON TO TAXPAYER MONEY.
AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO CERTAINLY HAVING THE FLOOR AS WE HAVE IT, LIKE YOU SAY, FOR EMERGENCIES, UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UH, BUT JUST TO DECIDE, LET'S HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY BY HAVING LARGER FUND BALANCES WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING THEM RESERVED, UH, FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, IS, IS IS NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD THING.
YOU, UM, THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, QUESTION THAT I HAVE, IT RELATES TO, UM, OUR CAPITAL BUDGET.
UM, AND I'M SORT OF WONDERING FROM, UH, BOND RATING STANDPOINT OR, UH, PRUDENT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE SPENDING EVERY YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, ON, ON CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, ARE, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE BE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CONTROLLER, UM, THAT, THAT THE, THE BOARD BASICALLY, WE WERE LOOKING AT VERY LARGE CAPITAL, UH, BUDGET, UM, APPROPRIATIONS.
UM, AND I'M SORT OF WONDERING, UM, HOW MUCH YOU WOULD RECOMMEND, UH, THAT WE LIMIT THE, THE BORROWING TO, AND YOU KNOW, IN 2000, YOU KNOW, 26, YOU KNOW, I, IT WAS LIKE OVER $50 MILLION.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE INDICATED THAT WE WOULDN'T SPEND IT ALL UNLESS, UH, UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD, UM, PASSES SUBSEQUENT RESOLUTIONS.
UM, AND THE CONTROLLER INDICATED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS RECOMMENDED SOMETHING CLOSE TO LIKE MAYBE 25 MILLION MILLION DOLLARS, UM, FOR, IN SPENDING FOR 2026.
AND I, THAT'S A VERY, UM, OUR QUESTION FOR ME TO ANSWER DIRECTLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S ABOUT LONG-TERM PLANNING, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE CAPITAL NEEDS ARE OF THE TOWN.
[00:40:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS VERY EXPENSIVE.UM, ALL INFRASTRUCTURE IS EXPENSIVE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, I I CAN'T, I DON'T FEEL LIKE I CAN COMMENT IN, IN DETAIL ON HOW MUCH THE TOWN SHOULD BE SPENDING IN ANY ONE GIVEN FISCAL YEAR, BUT IT SHOULD BE, UH, I, I THINK REVIEWED ON AN, AT LEAST AN ANNUAL BASIS AND, AND SEEING HOW IT FITS IN WITH THE LONG TERM CAPITAL PLAN, LONG TERM, UH, BORROWING NEEDS AND HOW TO BEST MANAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DEBT PAYMENTS THAT'LL, THAT'LL COME DUE.
UM, SO IT'S ABOUT PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE LONG, LONG TERM, UH, THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE OF THE TOWN.
AND OF COURSE, YOU DON'T WANT TO BOND MORE THAN YOU NEED.
'CAUSE THAT, THAT'S JUST NEEDLESS.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU OBVIOUSLY WANT TO MINIMIZE THAT TO THE BEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
UH, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, QUESTION THAT I HAD IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WAY BACK IN THE 1990S, COMMUNITIES, UM, HAD THE ABILITY OF, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY, UM, THEY, THEY HAD THE ABILITY OF, UH, SELLING LIENS TO COLLECT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BACK TAXES.
BUT GREENBERG AT THAT TIME DID NOT OPT TO PARTICIPATE.
DO YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IN THAT, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME BACK TAXES, BUT IT'S TAKING A REALLY LONG TIME TO, UM, UNIT COLLECTED.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE ASK THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UM, TO PROVIDE US WITH THE ABILITY TO SELL TAX LIENS? AND IT MIGHT ACTUALLY SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING OUR BACK TAXES COLLECTED? I, I WOULD SAY THAT'S A, THAT'S A TOWN BOARD POLICY DECISION.
I, I CAN'T, DO YOU KNOW WHY COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SELLING LIENS, TAX LIENS, ANY OF YOUR CLIENTS? UM, I, I DON'T KNOW OFFHAND.
SCOTT, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHTS SINCE THEN ON TAX LEADS? SORRY, WHAT? SELLING TAX.
ANY CLIENT SELLING TAX LIENS? I, I HAVE OF, I AM AWARE OF IT, BUT I, I JUST, INSTEAD OF FORECLOSURES, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I SEE I'VE SEEN A LOT OF, NO, I HAVE NOT SEEN A LOT OF THAT.
WELL, IT'S NOT, INSTEAD OF FORECLOSURES, IT'S INSTEAD OF THE TOWN FORECLOSING, HAVING WHOEVER YOU SELL THE TAX LIENS TO FORECLOSE.
AND WE HAD A POLICY BASICALLY IN THE PAST WHERE WE WEREN'T GONNA SELL OUR TAX LIENS BECAUSE IT REMOVES, YOU KNOW, ANY, ANY, UM, UM, ABILITY OF THE TOWN FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S HAVING A, YOU KNOW, A HARDSHIP, PARTICULARLY A SHORT TERM HARDSHIP AND, UH, TO HELP THEM, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, DEFERRED PAYMENTS OR, UH, INCREMENTAL PAYMENTS, UH, SO THAT THEY DON'T LOSE THEIR HOMES.
BUT ONCE YOU SETTLE THE TAX LIENS, UM, YOU'RE AT THE MERCY OF THE PERSON WHO BOUGHT IT, AND YOU SEE MORE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOUSES THAN I BELIEVE, THAN THE WAY WE DO IT NOW.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, ANOTHER QUESTION I JUST HAD IS, UM, UH, SINCE 1987, UM, IN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, THE GFOA HAS GIVEN US AWARDS FOR FINANCIAL REPORTING.
COULD YOU JUST EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT AWARD AND IS IT SOMETHING WORTH GETTING? I, I THINK IT IS PERSONALLY, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE RATING AGENCIES ALWAYS LIKE TO SEE THE CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT, UH, FOR EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL REPORTING.
UM, I THINK IT PUTS THE, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN, IN A POSITIVE LIGHT.
'CAUSE, BECAUSE WHAT IT, WHAT IT INVOLVES, IF I COULD EXPLAIN IT, YOU STILL HAVE TO DO THE SAME SET OF BASIC FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THAT EVERY LOCAL GOVERNMENT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURES THAT HAVE TO GO IN ABOVE AND BEYOND.
UM, WHAT'S IN THE, WHAT'S THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.
SOME OF IT IS STATISTICAL INFORMATION THAT SOME OF IT'S EVEN, YOU KNOW, NON-FINANCIAL, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S DETAILED INFORMATION ON ASSESSMENTS.
THERE'S DETAILED INFORMATION ON TAX RATES, DETAILED INFORMATION ON TOP EMPLOYERS IN THE, IN, IN THE TOWN, UH, TOP TAXPAYERS IN THE TOWN, UM, A LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO, AND, AND IT'S ALSO, IT'S ALSO BENEFICIAL TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY, THIRD PARTY 'CAUSE GFOA HAS, THEY REVIEW THE, THEY REVIEW THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, THE ACT EXPERT BEFORE THEY, UH, GIVE THE AWARD.
UM, YOU GET A THIRD PARTY REVIEW OF, OF YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THAT MAKE SURE, OR, YOU KNOW, HELP ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE MEETING ALL THE BEST PRACTICES FOR
[00:45:01]
DISCLOSURES AND FINANCIAL REPORTING IN GENERAL.IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M PERSONALLY A FAN OF.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK ABOUT IT.
UM, SCOTT AND I ARE BOTH, UH, SPECIAL REVIEWERS FOR THE GFOA WE'RE, WE VOLUNTEER OUR TIME TO REVIEW, UH, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ACT FIRST FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY DURING VARIOUS PARTS OF THE YEAR.
SO WE'RE PART OF THAT PROCESS WHERE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE MEETING THEIR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EXTENSIVE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, UM, NECESSARY IN ORDER TO GET THAT AWARD RIGHT.
AND IT SHOULD BE POINT, IT SHOULD ALSO BE POINTED OUT THAT IF YOU GO ON GFO A'S AWARD, UH, PART OF THEIR WEBSITE, THAT THAT TALKS ABOUT THE AWARDS, UH, IT MIGHT BE A YEAR BEHIND, BUT IT LISTS EVERY, YOU KNOW, MUNICIPALITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE UNITED STATES THAT, UH, PARTICIPATES IN THIS AWARD PROGRAM.
AND GENERALLY SPEAKING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
IF YOU THINK OF ALL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND AUTHORITIES, EVERY, EVERY CONCEIVABLE GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES, I BELIEVE THE LAST I, THE LAST TIME I HAD CHECKED, AND JEFF, YOU CAN CHECK ME IF I'M WRONG, I BELIEVE ONLY ABOUT 3000 ENTITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND THEN DRILLING DOWN TO JUST NEW YORK STATE, I BELIEVE THERE IS ONLY ABOUT 70 OR 80 OVERALL GOVERNMENTS IN NEW YORK STATE OUT OF THAT 3000 THAT, THAT PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND THEN OF THE 80 OR SO IN NEW YORK STATE, IF YOU ELIMINATE THE ONES THAT ARE STATE AGENCIES OR NEW YORK CITY AGENCIES, I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY DOWN TO ABOUT 30 TO 40 ENTITIES IN ALL OF NEW YORK STATE THAT PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LOOKED UPON HIGHLY, AS JEFF SAID BY THE, THE RATING AGENCY COMMUNITY.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOUR NUMBERS ARE GOOD, YOUR NUMBERS COULD BE GREAT, YOUR NUMBERS COULD BE TERRIBLE.
IT IS REALLY TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU'RE REPORTING AND DISCLOSING, UH, THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU ARE USING AND, AND COMMITTING TO THE, THIS HIGH STANDARD THAT GFOA SETS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TELL ALL OUR CLIENTS THAT DO IT, WE, WE HAVE ABOUT A DOZEN CLIENTS THAT PARTICIPATE.
IT'S RIGOROUS, AND, UH, THEY SHOULD BE PROUD OF, UH, BEING PARTICIPANTS IN THAT PROGRAM.
LET ME PHRASE IT A DIFFERENT WAY.
DO YOU SEE A DOWNSIDE IN HAVING IT? I DON'T THINK THERE'S A DOWNSIDE BECAUSE THE RATING AGENCIES CAN FI CAN FIGURE THINGS OUT.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE HISTORY OF INFORMATION, UM, SO YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA KNOW HOW TO RATE YOUR BONDS.
THEY'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA KNOW YOUR FINANCIAL TRENDS.
THIS REPORT REALLY PUTS OUT THERE FOR TRANSPARENCY SO PEOPLE COULD SEE WHERE THEY COULD SEE, HEY, WHAT, WHAT'S BEEN THE TOWN'S FUND BALANCE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS? WHAT'S BEEN OUR, YOU KNOW, REVENUES AND EXPENSES FOR THE LA THE LAST 10 YEARS? THOSE CHARTS ARE IN THERE.
IT'S, IT'S MORE TRANSPARENT, UH, INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING, UH, PRIMARILY TO, TO YOUR CITIZENS WHO, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN, IN LOOKING AT THAT.
I MEAN, THERE'S A COST, BUT YOU THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE.
IT'S REALLY A MINIMAL COST, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR, FOR US TO DO SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL WORK, THERE'S AN APPLICATION FEE TO GFOA, WHICH, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE A THOUSAND DOLLARS OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND I THINK THE TOWN'S BEEN DOING IT FOR LONG TIME, MANY YEARS, CORRECT, JEFF? SINCE 1987.
YEAH, ALMOST PROBABLY SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM.
IT'S ON EVERY ONE OF OUR TOWN BOARD MEETING AGENDAS.
WE HAVE A SIX YEAR PLAN, UM, THAT WILL BRING THE FUND BALANCE UP.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE, UM, IN TERMS OF MAKE, MAKING SURE THAT THE TOWN IS, UH, FINANCIALLY AND, YOU KNOW, IN GOOD SHAPE AND DOING WHAT WE HAVE TO DO? YOU KNOW, I, I WILL FOLLOW YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING, UH, UM, RESOLUTIONS IF WE, YOU KNOW, MAKE CHANGES.
BUT I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE NOT AT, NOT THAT I CAN THINK OF AT THIS TIME.
UM, MAKING SURE YOUR FUND BALANCE IS ADEQUATE IS, I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WOULD SAY SO.
I, I AGREE WITH, YOU KNOW, TOWN BOARDS IS, UH, ENSURING THAT ITS FUND BALANCE IS, IS ADEQUATE, YOU KNOW, WITH A LONG TERM PLAN.
I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.
AND, UM, OFFHAND I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS
[00:50:01]
AT THIS TIME.ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, AND THE SUPERVISOR'S TENTATIVE BUDGET, UH, HE WANTED TO KEEP THE TAX, UH, INCREASE UNDER 3%, BUT HE DID THAT BY, UH, DRAWING ON A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FUND BALANCE.
BUT THAT'S HOW WE'VE GOTTEN INTO THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE NOW IN.
UH, SO THE RECOMMENDATION WAS, IS TO, UH, BASICALLY, UM, NOT EVEN DO A 6% INCREASE, BECAUSE THAT WOULD STILL LEAVE CONSIDERABLE PAIN IN, IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
AND SO WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE, A BUDGET, NOT THE B BUDGET, BUT THE, A BUDGET AS A 10% INCREASE IN ORDER TO, UH, TO, UH, REDUCE THE AMOUNT, THE RELIANCE ON FUND BALANCE.
BUT EVEN DOING THAT HAS SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES GOING FORWARD.
UM, BUT IT ALSO AT THE END OF SIX YEARS, STILL HAS A, USING ABOUT $4 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE, UH, TO BALANCE OUR BOOKS.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY TRYING TO DO A BALANCE NOW AND LEAVES US WITH NOTHING FOR THE COURTHOUSE OTHER THAN $7.4 MILLION, AND WE NEED TO BUILD A COURTHOUSE.
SO SOMEHOW, UH, UM, WELL, LET ME IT THIS WAY.
OUR CONTROLLER FINDS IT FAIRLY OBJECTIONABLE TO GO BACK TO THE, UH, TAXPAYERS AND ASK THEM TO PAY FOR A COURTHOUSE THAT THEY'VE ALREADY PAID FOR WITH $39 MILLION.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND BUILD BACK AT LEAST OUR, OUR BASIC FUND BALANCES, UH, BY DOING A TAX INCREASE, WHICH OF COURSE IS PAINFUL FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, IT'S IN THE, A BUDGET, SO THE NUMBERS DON'T APPEAR LARGE, BUT OF COURSE, IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT, YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT.
AND, AND FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, WE, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A LOT OF BUILDING DEPARTMENT FEES COME IN FROM OUR BIGGEST, UM, LAND, UH, CLIENT OR, OR, UM, CORPORATION THAT WAS DOING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION, BUT THAT IS NO LONGER FEASIBLE.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE FOR THE MOST PART BUILT OUT.
AND ANY REVENUE THAT MAY COME IN FROM THAT, THAT ONE SOURCE, IT WILL BE MUCH MORE LIMITED SO THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SUPPLEMENT THE INCOME IN THIS AS, UM, AGILE FASHION.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS RESERVING, AND WE HAVE RESERVED, I THINK ABOUT $2.5 MILLION OR SO FOR PAYMENT OF INSPECTIONS FOR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REGENERON, YOU KNOW, VERY HIGH END RESEARCH FACILITY, VERY TOP NOTCH.
THE ISSUE WE HAVE IS THAT BUILDING PERMIT FEES COME IN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT BEFORE THEY EVEN PUT A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND, AND THAT'S IT.
RIGHT? UH, THEN OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT EIGHT TO 10 YEARS, THERE ARE INSPECTIONS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE, AND THERE WON'T BE ANY MONEY IN THE BUDGET UNLESS WE RESERVE THE, UH, THE, UM, THE, UM, BUILDING PERMIT FEES THAT WE GOT BECAUSE WE ARE ACTUALLY USING AN OUTSIDE FIRM TO HANDLE, YOU KNOW, THE COMPLEX ISSUES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN A, IN A PLACE LIKE REGENERON.
AND SO, UH, WE HAD WHAT APPEARS TO BE ONE SHOTS, BUT THEY'RE ONE SHOTS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE PLAN THAT WE HAVE MONEY AVAILABLE WHEN WE NEED IT, UH, BECAUSE THE, JUST OF THE NATURE OF THE WAY BUILDING PERMIT FEES WORK WHERE WE GET THE MONEY UP FRONT, BUT ALL THE EXPENSES TO THE TOWN COME IN LATER YEARS.
BUT I THINK EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD'S ON THE SAME PAGE ON THIS.
RIGHT? WELL, WE HAVE TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER THAT'S THE RIGHT, BUT WE, WE WILL KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD UP THE FUND BALANCES, RIGHT? SORRY, UH, IN YOUR VIEW, BECAUSE THE REASON WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS MEETING IS THAT THE SUPERVISOR BASICALLY EQUATED, UH, THE AUDIT THAT YOU DID, AND IF WE GET A CLEAN BILL ON THE AUDIT THAT YOU DID THAT, WHY DO WE NEED A FORENSIC AUDIT? AND IS IT YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT, BUT A FORENSIC AUDIT MIGHT FIND THAT THERE ARE SOME ISSUES, UM, WITH HOW THINGS WERE DONE? YES, IT'S
[00:55:01]
POSSIBLE.WELL, HE, JEFF RECOMMENDED BEFORE WE COULD DO INTERNAL AUDITS, UH, UM, WHEN, YOU KNOW, AND BASICALLY OPERATIONAL AUDITS, I SAID, I THINK YOU SAID THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO IF WE WANT TO HAVE ENHANCED PROGRAM, ADDITIONAL REVIEWS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THE TOWN BOARD SHOULD LOOK AT, BECAUSE AGAIN, THE FORENSIC ORDER THAT, UH, WE'RE DOING GOES ONLY UP TO 2023, BUT DOESN'T GO, UH, 24 OR 25.
AND PERHAPS WHEN, UM, WHEN, UH, WE CONTRACT OUT FOR THIS COMING YEAR'S AUDIT, WE SHOULD, UM, ASK FOR EITHER AN OPERATION AUDIT OR, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING AN INTERNAL AUDIT.
YEAH, ANYTHING, BECAUSE I THINK WHILE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, AT LEAST TO ME, IS GETTING RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO WAYS WE COULD RUN THE TOWN MORE EFFICIENTLY AND WAYS, UH, WE COULD CUT COSTS.
BECAUSE YESTERDAY AT THE BUDGET HEARING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OVER TAX, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE HAVING A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME PAYING THE TAXES.
IF WE COULD CUT DOWN, UM, SOME OF THE COSTS OF GOVERNING, THEN WE COULD, UM, REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FUTURE TAX HIKES.
WELL, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX THAN THAT.
AND, AND I, I, ONE OF THE CONCERNS WAS THE, THE HOUSING VALUES THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE CONTROL OVER, IT'S NOT AS IF, UM, OUR ASSESSOR ARTIFICIALLY SETS THE PRICING ON, ON HOUSING.
SO THAT THEN, AS SOMEONE POINTED OUT, THAT IMPACTS SCHOOL TAXES, THE SCHOOL TAXES BEING WHAT, 65% OF THE TAXES THAT WE PAY AND, AND RESIDENTS CAN VOTE FOR THOSE SCHOOL BUDGETS.
UM, BUT THE, IN TERMS OF, OF TAKING A, WE, WE, WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE TOWN RUNS IN A FASHION THAT EVERYONE LIVES HERE TO ENJOY AND TO, UM, CELEBRATE AND OR IF WE ARE GOING TO MAKE CUTS LIKE THE, THE CUTS TO, UM, TO PAVING, WHICH THEN DEGRADES OUR ROADS, UM, OR CUTS TO DRAINAGE, WHICH THEN MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO, UM, TAKE CARE OF FLOODING ISSUES.
SO THOSE, THOSE BIG DRACONIAN CUTS ARE, ARE NOT THE ISSUE IN TERMS OF USING A SCALPEL TO MAKE STRATEGIC CUTS WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE.
I THINK THAT WE CERTAINLY CAN DISCUSS THAT.
AND THE, UM, WE HAD A RESOLUTION ON, BUT WE HELD IT OVER BECAUSE THE, UH, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN THE RENEWAL IS THAT THERE BE A NEW TEAM.
I THINK, UH, THE CON THE CONTROLLER HAS DISCUSSED THIS WITH YOU, BUT IT'S NOT IN THE AGREEMENT AT ALL.
AND THERE'S ALSO SOME STANDARD LANGUAGE THAT WE PUT INTO AGREEMENTS THAT NOTICES HAVE TO INCLUDE THE TOWN ATTORNEY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF WE COULD WORK OUT THOSE CHANGES, UH, BETWEEN NOW AND SAY NEXT MONDAY, SO THAT WHEN WE VOTE ON WEDNESDAY, WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATED DOCUMENT.
I'M, I'M SURE WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
YOU HAVE MOTION TO ADJOURN? SECOND.