Audit faults Port Jefferson village bids
Port Jefferson village paid more than $1.5 million in contracts without soliciting competitive bids, an oversight caused by lax purchasing controls, says an audit released Thursday by state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli's office.
DiNapoli's audit, which focused from June 1, 2009, to Aug. 31, 2010, criticized the village for "weaknesses in the Village's controls over purchasing goods," among a battery of other financial missteps.
The 29-page audit report also detailed the village's plans to improve its financial controls.
According to the audit, the village paid $691,584 to 13 vendors and $811,496 to 10 professional service providers, all without seeking competitive bids.
Officials also failed to audit claims or adopt written payroll policies and procedures. The village also overstated the value of accumulated vacation, sick, and personal leave days by $190,849, auditors found.
Port Jefferson trustee Adrienne Kessel said the audit was an eye-opener for the village, which has since made strides to improve.
"Obviously if there are things we need to tighten up, that's fine," Kessel said. "That's the beginning of making sure nothing falls through the cracks."
The audit of Port Jefferson village, which has about 8,000 residents, was the type of routine examination DiNapoli's office regularly performs of government entities such as villages and fire districts. The audit states that Port Jefferson's lack of competitive bidding meant "village taxpayers do not have adequate assurance that officials have used public moneys in a prudent and economical manner."
The audit includes a Jan. 12 letter to DiNapoli's office from village officials that outlines the steps they have taken since the state audit to improve the village's financial oversight.
Port Jefferson has adopted a formal purchasing policy to address bidding, the letter states. The village has also hired an assessor and updated its information technology systems, which will tighten financial controls, the letter states.
The state is satisfied by Port Jefferson's response to the audit, said Vanessa Lockel, a spokeswoman for the comptroller's office. The village "agreed with the findings and recommendations of the audit and have since implemented formal purchasing policies," she said.
