subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Sat, Jul 04 2009 

Published: July 03, 2008 10:09 pm    print this story  

NIAGARA FALLS: Library shortfall disputed

Board of Trustees maintains it hasn’t overspent yearly revenues

By Rick Forgione
E-mail Rick

Niagara Gazette

The Board of Trustees of the Niagara Falls Public Library is once again disputing it’s running in the red financially, despite being cited in a recently released auditor’s report.

According to the city’s bookkeeping records, the library system exceeded its budget by $54,000 in 2006 and remains about $32,000 over budget as of last month. Library board members disagree, saying there’s a yet-to-be-identified accounting discrepancy between their records and the city’s records.

The city’s library system includes both the Earl W. Brydges building on Main Street and the LaSalle branch on Buffalo Avenue. The annual budget funded through taxpayers’ money has remained around $1.6 million in the past few years, said Library Director Betty Babanoury.

Babanoury pointed out the library had remained at budget from 2003 to 2005, but was told it exceeded its allocation in 2006, despite the board’s records showing no overexpenditures.

“I don’t know why we’re suddenly over budget for the last two years,” she said. “We’re doing everything the exact same way.”

The alleged $54,000 shortfall was made public last year after former Mayor Vince Anello sent the City Council a resolution saying the library had overspent its budget and a money transfer was needed to cover the difference.

That deficit was reduced by $22,000 at the end of 2007 because the library’s revenues exceeded expenditures, but the system is still operating in the red, according to an audit of city finances released Monday by Freed Maxick & Bataglia, PC.

Babanoury and library trustees are challenging those findings as well as financial reports the city has sent to the state Comptroller’s Office.

City Controller Maria Brown was not available for comment Thursday. Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster said he could not comment on the library board’s contention the city’s budget figures are incorrect, but pointed out all of the records were reviewed by an outside auditor.

“(The auditors) tell you if you’re in the red or in the black,” the mayor said.

Dyster said the city is prepared to cover the library’s apparent fund deficit, which currently stands at $32,354, according to the report sent to the state comptroller. A resolution to transfer the funds will soon be sent to City Council for vote.

“We’re not going to leave the library in a lurch,” Dyster said.

Meanwhile, library officials are still trying to figure out the cause of the discrepancy. Funds to pay for the libraries’ expenses, such as payroll, supplies and utilities are funneled through a city account month-to-month, a system that causes confusion and needs to be changed, library board members said. For example, city records show the library only spent a total of $197.32 in all of 2007 on library materials (books, magazines, DVDs, etc.). However, the library actually spent nearly $150,000 on that line, said Mary Ruth Davis, principal finance clerk for the library board.

Those type of discrepancies occur because the city and library have two different accounting systems, Babanoury said, and it usually takes the city longer to post expenditures on its reports. Adding to the confusion is a process where the library pays some of its bills and the city pays others.

“It’s kind of like a married couple using one check book,” said board President Dolores Marino. “We know we are within our budget, according to our numbers. If the city is paying things out without us knowing about it, that could be the cause (of the budget discrepancy).”

To settle any future disputes, the library board has requested the system’s entire annual budget be transferred to its account at the start of the year, allowing the board to pay all of the invoices and expenditures. In the past, the city has not been receptive to the full transfer, opting to instead leave the bulk of the money accruing interest in city accounts.

“It is not an unusual request to have all of the funds transferred to the library at the beginning of the (fiscal) year so they are not co-mingling with the city’s funds,” Babanoury said. “We are using taxpayers’ money and I don’t want there to be a discrepancy between the library’s bookkeeping and city’s bookkeeping.”

Dyster said he agrees with the idea of transferring the entire budget funds to the library once a year, and the city is in a position to do so, but the library first needs to acquire a federal tax identification number.

print this story  



Zillow
monster
autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Featured Jobs

Microcomputer Coordinator
MICROCOMPUTER
COORDINATOR
Application Deadline: June 30, 2009. Submit District application, Civil Service app
...>MORE

Application Developer
APPLICATION DEVELOPER, Niagara Falls, NY. At Cardinal Health, we're developing the innovative products and services that...>MORE

Truck Driver
TRUCK DRIVER: Local /OTR 200 mile radius. Must have dump trailer experience. 867-4663...>MORE

Cleaners
Housekeeping, Summer/ permanent help, p/t-4 day work wk, no w/e, bonuses, car nec. 694-2810 ...>MORE

Housekeeping Aide
Housekeeping Aide. Day shift. Must be able to work a flexible schedule to include some week-ends and holidays. Dependabl...>MORE

Cashiers
CASHIERS - Looking for cashiers for convenience store in Wrights Corners.  Call 689-0600 ext. 31. ...>MORE

Nursing
NEED MONEY?
RN’s, LPN’s,
HHA’s & PCA’s
Needed Immediately
HIGH PAY RATES!!
For Staffing & ...>MORE

In Bound Telesales
In Bound Telesales!
Altitude Marketing is one of DISH Network’s top national retailers and has immediate FT positi
...>MORE

LPNS
LPNS, Certifid HHA's and Certified PCA/s needed. Several shifts available. Full and part time hours. Must be able to wor...>MORE

Bartender / Cook
BARTENDER/COOK
Part Time. No experience necessary. Call 438-1460 from 1-8pm
...>MORE

See all ads

Feature Autos

Chevrolet 2002 Cavalier
CHEVROLET 2002  CAVALIER    with 80,00 miles. Must see! Well maintained! Silver ext.,  Gray int.,  2DR,  Automatic,  Fro...>MORE

Audi 1998 A6 Sedan
Audi 1998 A6  Sedan  with 160k miles.  Charcoal ext.,  Tan int.,  4DR,  Automatic,  AWD,  6 Cylinder,  Gas  engine. Pow...>MORE

1994 Pontiac Sunbird
PONTIAC 1994 Sunbird conv. V6, EC in & out, red w/blk top, wht int., CD, real sharp. $2850. 523-7102...>MORE

Pontiac 2004 Grand Prix GT
PONTIAC 2004 Grand Prix GT 4 door, good cond, $8000, 998-5596...>MORE

FORD 1999 150
FORD 1999 150 pickup, good cond., tool box, bedliner, standard, $2500 or BO. 523-3653...>MORE

2000 Chevy S-10
CHEVY 2000 S-10 pick up, 2.2L, 5 spd, ext cab, EC in & out, CD, cold AC, great gas mi. $2750. 523-7102...>MORE

Ford 1999 150 Truck
FORD 1999 150 pickup, good cond., tool box, bedliner, standard, $2500 or BO. 523-3653...>MORE

Ford Escape XLT 2001
FORD ESCAPE XLT 2001, remote start, new catalytic converter, 116K, $3800 or best offer. 480-3031...>MORE

Ford 1993 Taurus
FORD 1993 Taurus, just inspected, runs good $900 or best offer,
284-0244
...>MORE

1990 Chevy 2500
1990 CHEVY 2500 pick up, fresh paint, 160k mi, good runner, 4WD, ext cab, $2500, 716-572-9153...>MORE

See all ads




 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index