Southtowns Record

Town of West Seneca – Audit Follow-Up (2019M-195-F)

Government
Town of West Seneca
Posted by publisher
Apr 18, 2025
Kind
State audit
Topics
Budget and taxes, Audits and oversight, Roads and traffic, Water, sewer and drainage, Parks and recreation

Publisher's summary

The purpose of our review was to assess the Town of West Seneca’s (Town’s) progress, as of December 2024, in implementing our recommendations in the audit report Town of West Seneca – Capital Project Management (2019M-195), released in March 2020.

Original document

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reviewed. As discussed in Recommendation 1 observations/findings, itemized budgets were only
prepared for two capital projects with expenditures totaling approximately $14.4 million, and when
we reviewed the Board meeting minutes and agenda packets, none of the seven projects we
reviewed were included for public review. These projects included the highway facility
improvements project, budgeted for $4 million, and a sewer-related project, budgeted for $15
million.

In the Town’s corrective action plan (in response to our recommendations in our audit report), the
Supervisor stated that the Town is dedicated to ensuring public support and involvement in
decision-making for large capital projects. The plan indicated that the Town would strengthen its
internal controls surrounding the capital project process and ensure full transparency to the public
by requiring a “Capital Project Initialization Form” prior to beginning a project and a “Capital
Project Completion Form” at the conclusion of the project. These forms were to include key project
details such as a description of the project scope, an itemized proposed budget that identifies
funding sources for the project, and the final project cost. The forms were to be included as an
agenda item at a Board meeting and any related Board actions such as cost or scope changes would
be documented in the meeting minutes.

We also noted for the seven capital projects we reviewed, the Supervisor did not submit a Capital
Project Initialization Form or Capital Project Completion Form to the Board or include it in the
agenda for any of the projects we reviewed. The Supervisor stated that officials did not need to use
these forms because none of the capital projects were significant enough to warrant their use
because the projects were not major “ground-up” construction projects like the community center
and library project (the subject of our original audit). However, the corrective action plan did not
specify that these forms would only be used for “ground-up” construction projects and officials
did not take any other action to ensure key details relating to the projects such as itemized costs
and financing sources were documented in meeting minutes or to help ensure taxpayers and
residents were aware of all the ongoing capital projects or the associated costs.

Regardless of whether the project is a “ground-up” construction project, the capital projects we
reviewed were all capital asset acquisitions or construction projects that extended beyond one year
and involved significant costs. If Town officials no longer wish to use these forms to document
key project details in the meeting minutes, then an appropriate alternative should be implemented
to promote transparency and help ensure taxpayers and residents are well informed.

Ultimately, officials cannot help ensure transparency to taxpayers and residents if they do not
maintain itemized budgets and accurate financial information. Also, proper transparency allows
taxpayers and residents to evaluate the financial stewardship of their elected representatives and
provides them with a basis for informed participation in project discussions, where applicable.

Recommendation 3 – Ensure Accurate Budgets Are Available for Bond Resolutions

The Board should ensure that accurate cost estimate schedules or budgets are available in
connection with the bond resolution.

Status of Corrective Action: Not Implemented

Observations/Findings: The Board did not ensure accurate cost estimate schedules or budgets were
prepared or available to support adopted bond resolutions. From 2021 through 2024, the Board
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