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Pop Whalen reports narrower operating shortfall; Selectmen press for accounting detail
Summary
Officials told selectmen Pop Whalen’s unaudited 2024 operating shortfall narrowed to about $56,000 and credited revenue and reconciliation improvements, but selectmen asked for detailed journal entries and auditor review.
Parks and Recreation and Finance staff told the Wolfeboro Board of Selectmen on Jan. 22 that Pop Whalen ice arena’s unaudited operating deficit for 2024 is projected at about $56,000 — an improvement over the audited $117,541 deficit reported in the prior year.
Finance Director Samantha Kelly said the December actuals vs. budget report is preliminary because year-end journal entries are still being processed. She reported the general fund was 98% expended and overall revenues were at 112% of expected for the year; enterprise funds such as water and sewer show variations driven by multi-year project accounting and grant timing. On Pop Whalen specifically, Parks & Rec Director Christine Collins reported 167 rented hours of ice in December and cumulative rented hours of 837 for the season (excluding public skate and stick times). She said concessions exceeded targets and that reconciliations between Parks & Rec rec-desk software and the municipality’s Munismart system have reduced a prior reporting gap to about $1,700.
Selectmen and staff discussed an earlier $105,500 payment related to locker-room work that was recorded with donation revenue; a member of the public asked whether that donation had been removed from Pop Whalen revenue and how the town accounts for those offsetting entries. Several selectmen asked Finance to provide the journal entry trail and to have auditors review the accounting treatment so the board and public can see how the donor payment and the related expense were booked.
Christine Collins and staff said they are taking steps to increase off-season rentals and programming and credited Parks & Rec staff for improved utilization. Selectmen thanked staff for progress but requested follow-up documentation for the auditors and more granular reporting at the next meeting.
No formal vote was taken; the board requested additional accounting detail and noted the auditors will return in April for the regular annual audit.
