Ticonderoga Joint Town/Village Fire District – Board Oversight (2023M-182)

Issued Date
April 19, 2024

Audit Objective 

Determine whether the Ticonderoga Joint Town/Village Fire District (District) Board of Fire Commissioners (Board) monitored financial activity and ensured appropriate records and reports were maintained and filed timely.

Key Findings 

While the Board monitored financial activity and ensured appropriate records were maintained, they did not ensure required annual audits were completed and annual update documents (AUD) were filed in a timely manner.(Starting in 2023, the AUD is referred to as the Annual Financial Report [AFR].) As a result: 

  • The 2018 independent annual audit of the District’s records was completed 1,045 days late and as of October 31, 2023, audits for 2019 through 2022 were not completed and were already between 1,220 and 124 days late.
  • AUDs were filed as many as 1,257 days late.

There was no independent verification that funds have been accounted for and transparency was diminished.

Key Recommendations 

  • Ensure an annual independent audit of the District’s accounting records is performed and filed within 180 days of the close of the fiscal year.
  • File the District’s required AUDs with our office within 60 days of the close of the fiscal year.

District officials generally agreed with our recommendations and have initiated, or indicated they planned to initiate corrective action.