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GREENBURGH, N.Y. – Two years after finding tens of thousands of unprocessed tickets hidden away and taking criticism from the state for a lack of oversight of its courts, Greenburgh appears to be headed on the right track, according to an independent auditor.
Alan Kassay, a partner with the Harrison-based accounting firm O’Connor, Davies, Munn & Dobbins, said Tuesday the court is operating with better financial controls than it has in the past and has begun addressing chronic concerns of sloppy record keeping.
“I think you have a much improved court,” Kassay told town council members while presenting them with his firm’s 2011 audit of the court system. “Everything that should be done is currently being done.”
In 2010 court workers stumbled across an estimated 80,000 unprocessed tickets for speeding, seat belt and other violations, some stemming as far back as 1993. At one time, town officials estimated the tickets could bring in as much as $4 million in revenue to the town.
While Court Administrator Annu Jacobs said Wednesday her staff continues to work to correct the backlog, neither she nor Supervisor Paul Feiner were able to provide an up-to-date record of how many tickets the court has reviewed or how much money has been collected.
“By the end of this year should have a better idea of where we are,” Jacobs said.
The hidden tickets were the latest in a series of state audits and records that documented sub-par record keeping at the court. Earlier that same year the state’s comptroller’s office released an audit criticizing town justices for not keeping accurate, up-to-date bank records of bail money and not regularly maintaining bail ledgers. The report also blasted the town board for violating its own laws by not performing annual audits.
Two years later, town officials have a much better handle on the court’s finances, Kassay said. Monthly financial reports are now being sent to the town attorney and comptroller for review. The court is also in the process of closing down an illegally set-up bank account for bail money, Jacobs said.
But fixing the problems isn’t an overnight process, she said.
“It takes time,” said Jacobs, who took over administrator position in January after Regina Hill resigned, citing the stresses of the position. “But we’re taking care of what we need to do.”
Supervisor Paul Feiner and members of the town board asked Jacobs Tuesday for monthly internal accounting reports and bank records, hoping to ensure the court is managed properly on a day-to-day basis.
“The worst thing is a year from now state comes in and says were not doing our job and there’s a problem in the court,” Feiner said. “We want to make sure we are running as tight an operation as possible and running the maximum oversight that the state says we should.”
Comments (8)
serious internal control problems...
hmm, could that not perfectly describe the supervisor who cannot seem to control his inner gadfly, his willingness to overlook or defy the state and federal constitutions (see valhalla and fortress bible cases), his loose understanding of zoning law (see dromore), election law (see judy beville), insurance (see the tree case), his mania for issuing press releases......
ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE ISSUES REPORT ON TOWN COURT
Release Date: August 05, 2004
The Administrative Judge for the Ninth Judicial District, Francis Nicolai, has issued a report regarding plans to correct the financial control weaknesses in the Greenburgh Town Court. Judge Nicolai said that “most of the internal controls to properly collect, record and deposit monies were implemented prior to the (Office of Internal Affairs Audit Unit) audit report’s issuance.” The Judge is satisfied that “procedures are in place or planned that will correct the financial control weaknesses that previously existed in the Greenburgh Town Court.”
The Judge reported that “Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner directed that the town comptroller review the Justice Court’s financial controls. Town Internal Auditor, Richard Santorsola was assigned to the court and he has instituted numerous procedures to correct the court’s deficiencies…Mr. Santorsola supervised the installation of two new computer software programs which now provide the necessary financial controls. Mr. Santorsola has made an important contribution to correcting the financial control deficiencies. The town has hired additional staff including a senior bookkeeper whose duties will include daily reconciliation of cash receipts and deposits.”
56% INCREASE IN GROSS REVENUES COLLECTED BY COURT
Release Date: May 23, 2005
Good news! Gross revenues in the Town Courtincreased by $223,483 during the first quarter of 2005 compared to the first quarter of 2004. - this represents a 56% increase in gross revenues collected ($394,370 in 2004 to $617,853 in 2005). Hats off to Judges Doris Friedman, James Hubert and Sandra Forster. Richard Santorsola, Assistant Court Administrator had been appointed to work with the court clerk, Cecile Sia, to strengthen internal control procedures within the court structure. The court’s computer software and hardware were upgraded and court issued receipts are now computer generated with computer issued receipt numbers. The court’s vehicle and traffic backlog has been significantly reduced. Policies and procedures have been implemented to streamline the operation of the Court and to require court employees to be more accountable with regard to collection, reporting and depositing of court funds. Significant security measures were also undertaken.
Serious internal control problems that had existed in the past at the court have been resolved.
Paul Feiner
November 2010
GREENBURGH — Another state report has blasted the Town Court for its inability to keep track of its money, blaming the two senior justices and the Town Board for a lack of oversight.
The audit, released this month by the state Comptroller's Office, studied court operations in 2009. It criticized Town Justices Doris Friedman and Sandra Forster for not maintaining accurate, up-to-date records of bail money and not reviewing monthly bail accounts. It did not mention the third town justice, Arlene Gordon-Oliver, who was appointed in 2007.
In 2003, a supervising judge was assigned to oversee the troubled court. By May 2005, a report said the court had improved its accountability and efficiency. But a follow-up report in October 2009 found a "serious lack of internal controls to record and provide safeguards over bail monies."
The latest audit reached the same conclusion.
May 10, 2012
Comments
paulfeiner:
My office is seeking to tighten up oversight of the Town Court by my office and the Town Board. I have been reviewing various suggestions with state officials who are responsible for the courts.
Years before the 2004 audit, it was known amongst town insiders, the court was a mess. Years before. So Mr. Feiner, who is currently working to "tighten up oversight" has been aware of, even took credit for resolving, this long standing problem. Effective government at its best, eh?
Good job!
But don't forget the time (Fall 2011) when the Administrative Judge ordered the closing of the Town's Drug Court....
December 11, 2011 Journal News
Written by
REBECCA BAKER AND DWIGHT R. WORLEY
FILED UNDER
News
Westchester County, New York
GREENBURGH — The town's drug court has been shut down after judges mishandled several cases, a supervising judge said Tuesday.
Judge Charles Apotheker, supervising judge of the 9th Judicial District, said the court was closed as of Dec. 2 and its 10 open cases transferred to City Court in White Plains......http://www.lohud.com/article/20111207/NEWS02/112070316/Greenburgh-drug-court
Feiner wants to "tighten" up oversight (he says) which implies that there once was oversight but despite this somehow "80,000" tickets went astray and cash and undeposited checks were found in desk drawers. Now that the Town is reeling from the administrative slap to its reputation, Feiner says he is reviewing suggestions with State officials despite the article's quotes from the Town's hired gun, Alan Kassey who scoops it out:
"Alan Kassay, a partner with the Harrison-based accounting firm O’Connor, Davies, Munn & Dobbins, said Tuesday the court is operating with better financial controls than it has in the past and has begun addressing chronic concerns of sloppy record keeping.
“I think you have a much improved court,” Kassay told town council members while presenting them with his firm’s 2011 audit of the court system. “Everything that should be done is currently being done.”
What does this mean? Let me perform the introductions. 'Chronic concerns of sloppy record keeping' please meet 'Everything that should be done is currently being done'. Fellows, allow me to introduce you both to 'I have been reviewing various suggestions with state officials'.
And despite the best efforts of a former Administrator (Regina Hill) of whom taxpayers were told 'has been doing a fabulous job' to correct those problems the State pointed out, we now learn from the new Adminstrator that apparently Ms. Hill was all 'don't worry, be happy' since "it take's time" says Ms. Jacobs and this time is needed to rectify yet another newly disclosed problem -- the existence of an illegal bank account and the "in passing comment" that, by the way, the Town Comptroller hasn't, as of Tuesday's work session, been getting monthly copies of Court financial records. But this too is coming. Whew!
Does anyone remember that intuitive financial guru Alfred E. Newman who said: "What, Me Worry".
Perhaps closer to the truth was fired Town Comptroller Kolesar whose warnings of financial irregularities at the Courts and lack of controls were ignored repeatedly by the ever diligent (now where should I blog next) Town Supervisor Feiner who ignores the Supervisor part of his job title.
Certainly nothing to worry taxpayers because here's another assurance from the independent auditor.
“By the end of this year should have a better idea of where we are,” Jacobs said.
If all of this smells like manure to you, it does because it is. And it is only costing taxpayers two arms and a leg to own it.
Hal Samis
My office is seeking to tighten up oversight of the Town Court by my office and the Town Board. I have been reviewing various suggestions with state officials who are responsible for the courts.
thats fine. now please answer the questions posed by mr samis. this is not a personal attack.
The Daily Greenburgh Reporter, Matt Bultman, has written a pretty accurate description of what was discussed at the Town Board work session Tuesday morning. However, he is limited by editorial policy and space limitations to take go much beyond the outer layers of the onion. I, however, am free to dig deeper.
Feiner's latest gig is to deflect attention away from the expense side of the budget and instead to direct his show of concern to effecting misleading "revenue" scams; most of which are absurd, impractical, rely on the consent of other parties or will never produce yields that will never make a dent in a rising tax bill much less produce net revenue after the Town's cost to implement.
Witness: Waterwheel restaurant "sale" which still isn't happening; the proposed Ferncliff Manor lease to replace lost revenue from Feiner's refusal to extend an expiring WESTHELP lease (premises still vacant since October 2011 which threw off $100,000 monthly means a loss of $800,000 to the Town thru May with June's $100,000 absent in less than 20 days); GameOn sports facility lease being rammed down resident throats with Town's Zoning laws and Comprehensive Plan the victims of his media headline quest and,in today's story (above) once more the problems at the Court being milked solely to illustrate Feiner's "concern" with declining Town revenue.
It has been two years since the problems at the Court were let out of the bag -- even this airing in public only because the Town Courts got a failing mark from NYS. Feiner leaping on the news of the then new found boxes of unprocessed tickets (parking, moving violations, etc) right off the bat announced that Christmas had come early to Greenburgh taxpayers, the dance of the sugarplums in his head alone announced as a potential $4 million revenue windfall. Then the residents were treated to the hiring of a Court Adminstrator (hired @$75,000) who a few months later demanded and received a $25,000 raise because of the "swell" job she was doing. Next up Feiner regales taxpayers with the news that volunteer "interns" were wading through the tickets, doing a fabulous job and just count the dollars coming the Town's way from their outstanding efforts (dollar counting skill not yet needed). And because the interns aren't the direct beneficiaries of Town paychecks (they are paid by grant proceeds), Feiner does award them the coveted Town Certificate of Appreciation in December 2011 because of their invaluable (definitely the right word when no tangibles result) assistance. And, by the way, no work is performed during school vacations so of course processing tickets (read productivity) suffers. December also brings the news that the fab Court Administrator is resigning to take a similar job right back where she came from. New Court Administrator starts January 2012 but she is overwhelmed by the inherited problems and fighting off Feiner's "citizen" army which purports to know more than anyone.
So despite Feiner's pitch about how well things are going, take another look at what has been reported by Matt. Apparently, despite two Court Administrators, the Town's Comptroller still has not been given copies of any financial reports being produced at the Court. With well over a year of "progress" in processing those backlogged tickets, the Town Supervisor either doesn't know or won't tell just how much has been banked from the ongoing effort to collect from tickets issued as far back as 1989.
However what everyone who is paying attention knows (Feiner being the poster boy for not wanting to know bad news) is that the new Judges (all Judges are part-time) are balking at collection efforts regarding these (measured in the real world "unenforceable" in practice despite legally valid) aged tickets. To hide this from the public as well as avoiding having to acknowledge that $4 or $3 or $2 or $1 millions of revenue is "such stuff as dreams are made of", Feiner periodically announces that revenue at the Courts is up despite knowing that this is true only because the Courts have been more vigorous in processing newly issued tickets.
Aiding and abetting Feiner in these deceptions is his trusted lieutenant, Councilman Francis Sheehan, who asked the four month hired Administrator and the hired gun Accounting Firm yesterday to confirm that a "sea change" is underway at the Courts. Either the Accounting Firm was present but silent when the problems were reaching climax or it has just arrived on the scene like the Administrator, but it hardly seems reasonable that they would be in a position to know given that, for example, they also profess to have no idea of the status of the backlogged tickets. Nevertheless, I have been asking Feiner this question for six months during the Public Comment segment of the Town Board Meetings.
With no response. This question put to Mr. Kassey at Town Hall yielded the response that he hand;t been asked to find out.
More of the sizzle but lacking the meat from the Feiner team.
Hal Samis