Town Supervisor Brian McAvoy said at a recent Board meeting, “There has never been a problem.” Still, McAvoy explained the state of the Town’s banking system and the increased measures the Town will be taking to ensure a problem does not arise.

McAvoy described the Town’s banking system as “old fashioned.” He stated the Town does not use any online banking services.

McAvoy explained that all of the Town’s substantial banking accounts are FDIC-insured through Evans Bank. He noted that no Town officials have the ability to write checks out of the two main accounts – Highway Checking and General Fund Checking – individually. Any purchase from either account is first approved by the Town Board.

The Town has three other “clearing” accounts, including the Town Clerk’s account for tax collection. After taxes are collected, the account is drawn down to nearly zero. During the tax collection period, McAvoy audits the tax collectors multiple times each month to make sure everything balances and that payments are deposited in a timely manner.

Town of Arkwright Supervisor Brian McAvoy discusses increased measures of oversight to its finances the Town will be implementing moving forward

“We always push to have a very small amount of cash on hand,” McAvoy said. “We push to make sure deposits are being done as quickly as possible.”

In addition to tax collection, the Town Clerk’s office receives payment for marriage licenses, dog licenses, death certificates, and cemetery plot sales, among others. The Town also collects zoning fees from the Code Enforcement Officer and receives payment from the Town Justice Court. All money collected by the Court is paid directly to the Town, while fees and surcharges to the State are then paid by the Town, with the remaining funds staying with the Town.

The Town collected more than $1 million in taxes this year, with the County responsible for collecting the remaining unpaid taxes of just over $100,000.

Moving forward, the Town is asking for more detailed reports each month from the Town Clerk’s office. Bank statements will also be reviewed closely by McAvoy to “make sure” the checks are only being written to one of the authorized clearing accounts.

“We just have to be diligent about this because things can go wrong,” McAvoy said. “Especially with all the stuff going around, it’s probably time we stepped up our controls a little bit.”

Also at its recent meeting, the Town Board appointed a new Court Clerk, Eva Gadewoltz, at a rate of $21 per hour. Gadewoltz is a former Court Clerk in the Town of Sheridan.

“She’s a pro. It’s a whole other level of abilities,” McAvoy said.

The Town Board also took a moment at the beginning of the meeting to recognize Fred Norton, a former Town Supervisor who recently passed away.

The next meeting of the Arkwright Town Board is set for Monday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m.