Southtowns Record

Adequacy of 2021 Budgets - Town of Elma (S9-21-8)

Government
Town of Elma
Posted by publisher
May 7, 2021
Kind
State audit
Topics
Budget and taxes, Water, sewer and drainage, Audits and oversight, Parks and recreation

Publisher's summary

To assess whether local officials adequately considered the impact of the pandemic on their financial operations while developing their 2021 fiscal year budgets, our office conducted reviews of 20 adopted budgets of various counties, cities, towns and villages across the State.

Original document

Text · page 2 of 3

  Did officials adequately assess the impact of the pandemic on financial operations while
  developing estimates for significant revenues and expenditures in the 2021 adopted
  budget?

Summary of Findings

Our review found that officials adequately assessed the impact of the pandemic on financial
operations while developing estimates for significant revenues and expenditures in the 2021
adopted budget.

However, in consideration of the continually new and evolving impacts caused by the pandemic,
Town officials should carefully monitor their budgeted to actual revenues and expenditures and
make amendments to the budget as needed throughout the year.

Methodology

To accomplish our objective in this review, we requested your adopted budget and other pertinent
information. We interviewed officials and reviewed the adopted budget to gain an understanding
of the budget development process and to determine whether any estimates in the adopted budget
were adjusted by officials due to the potential impact the pandemic could have on financial
operations. We identified and examined for reasonableness significant estimated revenues and
expenditures1 and estimated revenues and expenditures below our established threshold that could
more likely be impacted by the pandemic. We also identified any significant new revenue or
expenditure estimates, made appropriate inquiries and reviewed supporting documentation to
assess whether the estimates were realistic and reasonable. In addition, we evaluated the amount
of fund balance and/or reserves appropriated in the adopted budget to be used as a financing source
and determined whether these amounts were available and sufficient for that purpose.

The scope of our review does not constitute an audit under generally accepted government auditing
standards (GAGAS). We do not offer comments or make specific recommendations on public
policy decisions, such as the type and level of services under consideration to be provided.

Background

The Town is located in Erie County. An elected five-member Town Board (Board), composed of
the Town Supervisor (Supervisor) and four Board members, is responsible for the general
oversight of the Town’s operations and finances. As budget officer for the Town, the Supervisor
requests budget estimates from department heads, then meets with them to determine the
departments’ financial needs for the year. Once the Supervisor prepares the tentative budget, it is
presented to the Board. The Board reviews the tentative budget, has the Town Bookkeeper make
any necessary revisions to the tentative budget, and prepares the preliminary budget. The Town

1
  For this review, we established significant estimated revenues and expenditures to be those consisting of 5 percent
  or more of a fund’s total budget estimates.

  2