The state Comptroller’s Office is set to audit the village of Fredonia.

Mayor Michael Ferguson downplayed the upcoming audit Friday. “Our number’s just come up,” he said.

Ferguson explained that the Comptroller’s Office routinely audits municipalities every six to 10 years. He speculated that since the office’s employees are working with the city of Dunkirk, they chose to audit Fredonia now since “they’re in the neighborhood.”

The mayor said he was told the audit has nothing to do with the village’s budget crunch, which saw it flirt with running out of money at the end of 2024.

The OBSERVER found out about the audit through an email from Mark Twichell, husband of village Trustee Michelle Twichell.

Mark Twichell said he and his wife were hoping that Ferguson would mention the audit during the most recent Board of Trustees meeting. Neither he nor any of the trustees did so, including Michelle Twichell.