Audit criticizes Ballston’s books
BALLSTON — A state comptroller’s audit on the fiscal health of the town’s water fund found that the fund’s balance was overstated by at least $271,264 between January 2010 and December 2011 and concluded that town financial records were not being maintained in a timely manner.
Town Supervisor Patti Southworth said Town Board members have continually blocked her from properly doing her job, but a response from the Office of the State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said it is her job to ensure she can provide adequate oversight over the town’s finances.
The audit was requested by Councilman William Goslin immediately after he was elected in November 2011.
Southworth is the town’s chief financial officer and the person ultimately responsible for performing basic accounting functions — especially when the town lacks a bookkeeper.
In November 2011, Southworth fired her confidential secretary and town bookkeeper, Joann Bouchard, after she transferred the town’s financial records to a flash drive for Goslin, who had gained the town board’s unanimous approval to review them.
Southworth has never offered an explanation for Bouchard’s termination.
Bouchard’s firing stirred anger and controversy among town council members who disagreed with Southworth’s decision, but Saratoga County Personnel Officer Jack Kalinkewicz said as long as funding for the position is included in the town budget, Southworth has the right to choose who serves as her secretary.
A few weeks later, the town board voted 3- 2 to abolish the bookkeeper position and move the roughly $ 40,000 annual salary into the town’s contingency fund.
After that, the Town Board hired a part- time bookkeeper, who quit after two months.
Finally, the town contracted the services of John Gaetani, a former Libertarian Party candidate for New York State Comptroller and a certified public accountant, to assume bookkeeping duties. The town also outsourced its payroll duties. Southworth said the arrangement is working well.
Southworth is stepping down from her post as supervisor to run for Saratoga County clerk. She said Thursday that running the county clerk’s office would be significantly different from managing the town’s finances because she wouldn’t have a Town Board blocking her attempts to do her job.
“I’m only one vote on that board,” she said.
The town is required to prepare a corrective action plan in response to the state comptroller’s findings by August.