Arkville Fire District – Internal Controls Over Financial Activities (2015M-65)

Issued Date
July 03, 2015

Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to determine if District officials provided adequate oversight of the financial activity to safeguard District assets for the period January 1 through December 31, 2014.

Background

The Arkville Fire District is a district corporation of the State, distinct and separate from the Town of Middletown, and is located in Delaware County. The District is governed by an elected five-member Board of Commissioners. The District’s general fund budget totals approximately $35,000 for the 2015 fiscal year.

Key Findings

  • The Board has not adopted a purchasing policy, code of ethics or an investment policy.
  • The Board does not periodically review the bank reconciliations and bank statements or compare canceled check images to approved abstracts to verify that prior approved claims were in fact paid as directed.
  • Although the Board members were conducting an annual audit of the Treasurer’s records, they were only briefly examining portions of the Treasurer’s records and were not following the proper steps to provide a thorough audit.

Key Recommendations

  • Adopt a purchasing policy, code of ethics and investment policy.
  • Periodically review bank reconciliations and bank statements and compare canceled check images to approved abstracts.
  • Conduct a thorough annual audit of the Treasurer’s records.