The town of Cicero ended 2014 on a positive financial note, but it’s still a long way from developing a plan to sustain itself past 2019, Supervisor Jessica Zambrano said in her presentation of the comptroller’s annual audit of the town’s actual spending at the May 13 town board meeting.
The 2014 Annual Update Document, which Town Comptroller Shirlie Stuart submitted to the New York State Comptroller’s Office, showed that Cicero used only one-third of the fund balance it had appropriated for 2014.
The town had budgeted the use of $698,704 last year and ended up using $230,445, leaving a year-end total fund balance of $3,819,738.
“This was a result of close monitoring in spending by the supervisor’s office, the comptroller’s office staff and the individual department heads,” Zambrano said.
Zambrano also credited the Cicero Police Department and the parks and recreation department for pursuing grants to fund their materials and activities.
In addition to revenue from regular taxes and fees last year, the town received $101,350 in snowplowing reimbursement from Onondaga County and $92,922 from both the county and the state through the Extreme Winter Recovery Program.
Zambrano listed several challenges to the town’s financial future: unbudgeted expenses (such as the purchase of two snowplows and costs associated with the Brewerton Revitalization Project), rising worker’s compensation costs, needed improvements to the town’s infrastructure and facilities, the governor’s 2 percent cap on tax increases and other state mandates.
“We all now know that money no longer grows on trees,” Zambrano said. “Because of our depleting fund balances and state-mandated restrictions, it has been projected by our comptroller that at our current level of spending, the town will no longer be able to sustain itself beyond 2019.”
Zambrano suggested the town board, as well as future boards, “stop dealing with budgets and provision of services on a year-to-year basis” and begin developing long-range plans for the town’s fiscal security.
The full report can be found at ciceronewyork.net/2014-annual-financial-audit.
Councilor Mike Becallo asked why the town’s own comptroller performed the audit instead of an independent auditor. The audit report states that the “chief financial officer” of every municipality must submit such a report to the state comptroller.
In other town financial matters, Becallo also questioned a resolution to approve town credit cards for certain town employees.
“Credit cards are a major source of abuse in government,” Becallo said.
Councilor Mark Venesky said it is common for companies to issue a company credit card to employees.
“Certainly, if people went out and abused it, they’d be terminated,” Venesky said.
Zambrano said town employees currently submit receipts for use of petty cash, so spending on town credit cards will be monitored. She said the cards would also allow the town to make sales tax-exempt purchases.
Parks and Recreation Director Jody Rogers said the credit cards would be used mainly for purchases from vendors at which the town does not have an existing credit account. She said the town has a credit account with Home Depot.
Police Chief Joe Snell said credit cards would allow town departments to seek lower prices for items online. He added that employees must submit a purchase order, which must be approved by JoLee Olszewski of the supervisor’s office.
“Shirlie Stuart treats town money like it’s her own money. She really watches things closely,” Zambrano said.
The town board voted 4-1, with Becallo dissenting, to approve the credit card policy. At press time, a list of the employees approved to use the cards was not yet available.
In addition to taking care of financial matters, the Cicero Town Board discussed:
• Ethics training: The town board has selected human resources consultant Kathy Barany of Strategic Management Solutions to conduct mandatory ethics training sessions for town employees, appointed and elected town officials, and the Cicero Board of Ethics. Venesky said the training likely would take place in late fall 2015. Zambrano said Barany has not yet ironed out the details of what the training will entail.
• Beavers: The board tabled a resolution for an agreement with Northeast Beaver and Predator Management, which would have cost the town $50 per beaver and dam destroyed. Resident Lori Sager asked the town board to look into more humane relocation options to deal with the beavers, which can cause flooding and other highway nuisances. Sager said Hancock Field had been allowed to trap and relocate beavers.
While Zambrano assured Sager that killing the beavers would be “fairly rare” under the agreement, the town board agreed to move the vote to the May 27 meeting.
• Local law: The town held a public hearing on Local Law No. 2 (“Prior Written Notice of Highway Defects Required”), which protects the town from lawsuits regarding injuries or damages sustained by road defects of which the town is not made aware. If the highway department and town clerk are notified in writing of a dangerous defect and the town does not address it, then the town is liable for injuries and damages caused by that road problem.
Town attorney Robert Germain said Cicero’s insurance carrier suggested the passage of this law as an “added level of liability protection.” The resolution passed unanimously.
