Brockport village requesting state audit

Quoting comments from previous board meetings about legal fees and the village having a "major artery that is lacerated and continuing to bleed," and that village legal fees "could reach six figures or more," Trustee Mary Jo Nayman made a motion for the village to seek a state audit of past legal fees.

At the March 6 board meeting Nayman read figures of past budget figures and actual expenditures for legal fees in the village:

  • From 2002-2003 the village budgeted $58,500 but spent $149,217;
  • 2003-2004 the village budgeted $93,000 but spent $149,634; and
  • 2004-2005 the village budgeted $60,000 but spent $139,044.

"As for six figures being reached - we are already there," Nayman said. "I made a motion previously to request a state audit and (Village Manager) Ian Coyle said he called the state and was told that due to the state workload that it was impossible. I want to avoid past mistakes with legal fees and would like to request that a written letter be sent to the state requesting an audit of the previous four years of the village administration."

Coyle said he did speak with the state comptroller's office at length and was told that unless there was a "compelling reason" for an audit, the state didn't have time or the manpower. "They are in the midst of school audits and at the time they didn't think we needed an audit," he said.

Nayman, Trustee Maria Castaneda and Mayor Mort Wexler approved the resolution to send a certified, return receipt letter to the comptroller's office requesting an audit.

Trustees Carrie Maziarz and David Wagenhauser abstained.

"I'm not afraid of what an audit will reveal, I just don't know what we will glean from one," Wagenhauser said. "I don't think the issues in the past are the same ones we are facing now and I just don't know how this will help the village move forward."

In other matters:

  • Nayman said she goes through the video tapes of the village board meetings and compares them to the minutes and finds discrepancies and asked that a library of videos be kept for residents to view. Village Clerk Leslie Morelli said the village catalogs the video tapes for one year and they are available to residents at their request under the FOIL regulations or, if the village VCR is available, residents are welcome to watch the video at village hall;
  • Heard from Police Chief Dan Varrenti that the police department is investigating starting a scholarship program for a graduating Brockport High School senior who will be pursuing a criminal justice major;
  • Heard from Fire Chief Laurence Vaughan that talks about consolidation of the five fire departments is progressing smoothly;
  • The board tabled a motion to adopt the National Incident Management System resolution pending further information being provided to the board members. The resolution states the board will agree to join a plan that all municipalities are being asked to approve as a part of Homeland Security measures in the event of a disaster. "I have a hard time agreeing to something that we don't know enough about," Maziarz said. "I do think we need a plan to address disasters but I don't think we can sign something until we know what that is."

March 12, 2006