The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About1953-1954 FIFD STATE OF NEW YORK DEPARTN~NT OF AUDIT AND CONTROL (DIVISION OF MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS) ALBA~f REIPORT OF EXAMINATION OF ~ ACCOIINTS AND FISCAL AF7AI~S OF THE FISMEF~M ISLAND F~/~Y DISTRI~T (TOWN OF SOVmOLD) (s vrm co m ) Pursuant to Article 3, Genered Municilm~l Law. Period Examined: Jam~u'y 1, 1953 to December 31, 1954. A1 Weinreb Examiner Approved: Jay R. Ne, w~nn Principal Examiner of' Municipal Affairs of Area ~7 Fishers Island Ferry District To~a~ of Southold OF ~m~RY COMMISSIONERS ~NES OF MEMBERS DURING PERIOD EX~MINED Chairman Superviser- Treasurer A. John 0ada Elmore ¥. Kee Miss Polly Edmonds Lawrence S. Baldwin Rowland Oswald (a) Wilfred C. Sinclair Norman E. Klipp (a) Appointed February 27, 1953 to fill vacancy of H. C. Hansen, deceased Febr~mry 18, 1953. Fishers Island Ferry District Town of Southold When Created November 21, 1947 Under What Law Assessed Valu~tion~ 1953, Chapter 699 Laws of 1947~ Amended Chapter 27 Laws of 1948, Amended Chapter 82 Laws of 1950, Amended Chapter 620 La~s of 1951. $3,466,984.00 1954, $3,603,744.00 Bonded Indebtedness At Close of Emmmination !~60,000o00 Oaths of Office Ail of the required oath:i~ of office were on file in the town clerkts office. Undert~t,~s Ail of the required undertakings covering the period e~amined were found on file in the to~s clerk's office. General ~nfo~tio~ The Town of ~muthold centrists of the North Fork of Long ~slandl, some lesser islands and Fisher~s Island. There is no rsgularly scheduled me,hod of transportation between Fishers Island and Long I~and. The district ,was cr~ted to provide transportation of persons, vehicles and merchandise between ~she~s ~sl~d and points within and without the State across Long Island At pa'esent the district operates a ferry to New London, Connecticut. The district is currently planning to acquire by purchase, gift, or lease a former military air field located on Fishers Island and contemplates operating and maintaining an airport. Fishers Tsland Ferry District Town of' Southcld Annual Bu~ts PI~F~ose ~intenance Expenses Depreciation and A~rtization (a) Transportation Ex~mse Casualties General Fncpenses Insurance Expense Operating Rents Airport Expenses Purchase of N.Y.N.H. and H. Property New London Total. Appropriations Less Estimated Revenues Taxes to be Levied 1953 $ 7,222.00 14,000.00 13,290.00 1,000.00 ?,700.00 11,945.14 70~440.22 1,719.20 $127,316.56 $ 30.484.32 17 4 $ 10,222.00 14,000.00' 6,390.00 1,000.00 9,720.00 12,239.00 69,500.00 2,073.00 ?,000.00 $13~,~.oo 103.114.00 $ 29.030.00 (a) This item ~as not delailed to ~icate the amount of bonds and interest payable, although t~e lum~ s~: esthete .included this purpose. The detailed estimates prepared by the commissioners should not include an amount for bonds and interest. Section 10 of Chapter 699, Laws of 1947, requires the town board to add the amount ~or bonds and interest to the detailed est~,~tes su~nitted by the district. F~ancial Records The ferry district office maintains a uniform syste~ of accounts prescribed by the ]Mterstate Co~,..,,erce O~ssion. These records are kept by the manager of the district and audited by private accountants. The supervisor. treasurer m~intains separs.te cash r~eCords. Fishers island Ferry i~istrict Town of .outhold Receipts and Payments }iXcept as hereinafter stated~ all ,~oneys deter~r2ned ix) have been received. were properly recorded and accounted for and ai~burse~ents were ~mde -~_n :~ccor~nce with statutory require.;,cnts. Receipt~. In a number of instar~es~ ,oneys received by the ;,urser and by the freight agents were not deposited daily in the ba~.~k, nor was the ~oney deposited to the credit of the su~)ervisor oF the town. All .oneys receiw*d from ['err/ c~arges skull be deposited daily to the credit of the s~xpe~isor ~£ the to~. (Section :5 of Chapter 82, Laws of l?~O) Ferry district, ~oneys deposited in a New London, Conr£ct£cut, bank were withdrawn by checks payable to the s~.~ervi~or. The~e c:~ec~s were s~gned by ~e ,mn~er of the district. There i~ no legal authorization for the ,'~nager to sign checks, it is ~co~,~cndc~ t~at t~:e ~pe~:isor de~ig~ ba~s as autho~zed by f~hapter ~, l~ws of l~O, Section 6, and transfer f~ds on checks signed by him. The ~nifest f~r~,m Z'or prepaid and eotlect freight c~arges ~re not press-nu~Joered. ~t ~ , is reco.mended that such for;~m with series numbers printed %hereon be issued lo the frei~:!~t agents for better accounting control. The receipts of .ferry charges for ~ssengers~ tr~c~.s and cars were accepted as recorded. Daily r,~?orts were sab-~tted by the parser w'~o sells the $icKets and ghe captain who collects the tickets. These reports we~:~ compared by distr~ct ~anager a~d tae existence of differences %herein was noted, i~owever, no cfi'errs were ~',,ad~ ~o explain or account for such di£ferences. It is reco~eaded that a .~ystem of control by ticket nuzzlers be instituted, ~nd ~h~t ti~e daily re?orts of the captain and ~_,~r~er oe reconciled and differences expt~ined or accounted for. The purser of the boat collects ferry charge~, reccrds the cash register readings, takes the tapes out ~f the register ~uud ~:~es up the d~po.~its for the ba~4. it :to reco~:~an~ned tb~t th,~ :a"cc~dure be changed. For better accounting control, t~e s:~me individual should net receive and ai~o ,repute the d~posits of di~tr~ct fan,~s. Fishers Island Ferry District Town of Southold Disbursements During the period audite~ an -~nunt of $715.63 ~as deducted monthly fr~m the compensation o:~ the operator of the boat to oove~ the insurance required to be carried by ~e operator, and paid for in advance by the district. There is no authority for the distr~ct to advance district moneys for this p~mTose. Section 6 of the contract provides that the operator ~ball carry insurance, executed to the ferry district, in such amount, and in such form and with such companies as the district may require and approve. Check ~1019, dated November 10, 1954 for $1,000.00 and check #786, dated Feb~y 19, 1954 for $1,(~00.C~ were paid to the operator of the boat for reimbursement of p~ohases made. Payments should be made direct to vendor upon a properly audited bill. A n~ber of ~yments were made to the New LondonFly~ Co., for airplane trips, on claims ~ehwere not sufficiently itemised. Such claims should show date, person, and purpose of~ravel, and the minutes should indicate authorization for such travel. The petty cash reim~sement claAm, were not supported by certified bills, as required by Section 6, Chapter 82, ~.~,~ of 1950. .... ne ~ Island Forry ~:.~s~rzct To~n of Southold SC~DULE 1 S.UM~ARY OF ~I~NCES, RECEIPTS A~ PAYME~S Frc~ January 1, 195~ to Dec~ber 31, 1954 B~l~ce Jkn~ry 1, 1953 Heoeipt~ To~l ~lance and ~ceipts Pa~ents 195~ ~lance Dee~ber 31, 1953 Receipts 1954 To~l ~ce and ~eceipt~s ~nts 1954 ~ce Decker 31, t954* $ 29,294.25 153 .929.53 $~-83,2~3.76 126.562.15 $ 56,~61.61 152.610.18 $209,271.79 148.984.00 $ 6O.287.79 # The supervisor did not ~nclude the petty cash and change ~nd totaling $220.00 in his book balance. This amount mhould be reflected on his records and be included in his annual finaneial report. ?isher~ !~l!~nd ?erry District Town of ~k~u~old SCHEDIIM 2 RECONCILL%TION OF CASH BALANCES Will Cf..SH I~ BANK AMD ON }L%ND AT CLOSE OF BUSINESS DECEh~SER 31, 195A Cash Balance (Schedule I) $6O.287.79 Accounted for as follows~ Cash in Bank First National of Greenport Cash on Hand To+A1 C~sh Ln Bank and on Hand Difference (Comment Below') Petty cash fu~d district office Oh~nge fund on boat Checks Outstandir~ $60,298.56 $ 10.77 $ 20.00 $220.00 (a) Verified ~=o~ Certificate of Depositary. Receipts of December 23, 1954- December 31, 1954,inclusive,totaling $1,212.23 were on deposit in the New London, Connecticut office of the Hartford National Bank and T~t Co. These receipts were entered on the treasurerls cash book in January, 1955 and are not included in the above balances. Net Balance $60,2~7.79 220.00 $60,5e7.79 220.00 Fishers Zaland Ferry District To~n of Southold 8umm~¥ of Recu,~endatlons The district commissioner,s should submit detailed estimates of expenditures and the town boa~ should add the amount for bonds and interest. Ferry district moneys should be deposited daily to the credit of the supervisor of the town. The supervisor should si~i,m all checks, including those transferring funds between banks. The manifest forms should be press-n~bered. The daily reports of the captain and the purser should be reconciled and the differences accounted for. The tickets should be controlled by nt~ber. The same individual should not receive the ferry charges and also handle the readings ,and tapes of the register. The district ;should not ~:~y for t~e insurance required to be carried by the operator of the boat. Payments sho~£ld be ~de direct to vendors on presentation of a certified claim. Claims for travel by plane should indicate date, person and purpose and authorization should be recorded in the minutes. Claims for reimburse¢,ent of petty ~,~sh should be supported by certified bills. The supervisor should record the petty cash and cl~nge funds on his district records al~ incl~e s~me in the balance on his ann~al report. Certification I, AL WEINREB, do '.hereby certify that T am an Examiner in the New York State Department of Audit and Control! that pursuant to law I have made an examination of the Accounts and Fiscal A?fairs of the FISHERS ISLAND FEKRY DISTRICT,~ Town of Southold, Suffolk County; that I have read the foregoing report of ~:~uch examination and that the same is true to the best of my knowledge, information and belief. E~aminer of Municical Affairs