CARMEL – Meeting in special session Monday evening, the Putnam County Legislature has requested an audit of the county’s $163 million unrestricted fund balance by the State Comptroller’s Office.
Legislature Chairman Dan Birmingham told his colleagues at the meeting, “I am looking for Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to give us best practices on either how to spend down that money in the form of tax relief or to create reserve funds earmarked for certain projects.”
The Office of the State Comptroller has constitutional and statutory authority to conduct audits of local governments.
Birmingham noted such an audit would provide “findings and conclusions based on an evaluation of sufficient, appropriate evidence against criteria while contributing to public accountability.”
The chairman also advised the lawmakers “since the power is plenary to the nine-member governing body pertaining solely to the conduct of its own procedures, the resolution would not be submitted to the county executive for his approval or veto.”
The vote requesting the state audit was unanimous.
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