TOWN OF NEWBURGH – An audit of the Orange Lake Fire District by the State Comptroller’s Office made a number of recommendations to improve its budgetary processes.
The state review for the period January 1, 2014 through April 30, 2015, found the board did not adopt any written policies or procedures for preparing the annual budget; the budgets did not contain sufficient data comparing the previous year’s spending plan with the current year’s; and the board applied operating surpluses to its reserves, which was not included in the budget.
Auditors recommended the fire district board develop policies and procedures for budget preparation; base budget estimates on reasonable assumptions using historical trends, actual expenditures or both; and evaluate the amounts budgeted for reserve accounts for reasonableness and accumulate only those funds necessary to fund planned purchases.
The Orange Lake Fire District services approximately 10,650 residents of the Town of Newburgh.
