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Greenburgh Town Board approves $72,000 forensic audit after heated exchange
Summary
On Nov. 3 the Greenburgh Town Board voted to retain EFPR Group CPAs PLLC for a forensic audit of financial records from 2020–2023 for up to $72,000 after a contentious debate in which Supervisor Feiner opposed the contract and Councilwoman Sheehan defended it and accused the supervisor of berating the controller.
The Greenburgh Town Board voted Nov. 3 to hire EFPR Group CPAs PLLC to perform a forensic examination of town financial records for calendar years 2020 through 2023 for an amount not to exceed $72,000.
The vote followed a heated exchange on the board floor over whether an outside forensic audit is necessary. Supervisor Feiner said before the motion that he would vote no, arguing the town’s current controller, Kimberly, has already identified problems and is able to implement corrective practices without a costly outside contractor. "The amount is $72,000 and the audit only focuses on the years 2020 to 2023," Feiner said, adding he trusts the controller’s work and worried about the expense.
Councilwoman Francis Sheehan, who moved the resolution, said the audit is needed to determine whether there are additional irregularities beyond what the controller has already reported and to provide an independent check. "Let's see whether or not they found the same thing and more or less, and we'll then know the quality of the audit," Sheehan said. She also accused the supervisor of previously berating the controller: "You were yelling at her in her office with her staff listening," Sheehan said, arguing that an independent audit would avoid any appearance of partiality.
Board members questioned the scope and timeframe of the audit during back-and-forth exchanges. One member asked whether Feiner opposed any outside forensic audit or only audits covering specific years; Feiner said he would not support the current 2020–2023 proposal but indicated he trusts the controller for more recent years. Other board members noted earlier votes and public commitments to pursue the 2020–2023 review and pressed the supervisor on his change of position.
After discussion, Sheehan made the motion to retain EFPR Group CPAs PLLC; the motion was seconded and approved by the board. The resolution authorizes a town board member, not the supervisor, to sign the contract; the board later designated Councilwoman Sheehan as the signing designee.
The forensic audit is to include examination of bank statements, journal entries, the general ledger and other records to identify irregularities, discrepancies, or deviations from accepted accounting principles for the stated years. The contract cap is $72,000; the resolution does not require the auditor to propose improvements for 2024 or later years. The board’s action does not itself change personnel or impose disciplinary measures — it commissions an independent review.
The board’s next procedural steps include execution of the contract by the designated board member and whatever follow-up reporting the auditors provide to the board once their work is complete.
