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Finance director: audit field work complete; explains budget variances and next steps
Summary
Finance Director Jennifer Potvin told council the audit field work is complete and the audit report is expected in about a month. She explained why part-time police pay exceeded budget, clarified a Service Department part-time line, and said she will follow up on two Mayor's Court-related questions.
Finance Director Jennifer Potvin told the Village of Northfield Council on Sept. 23 that audit field work for the municipality has been completed and that the audit report should be available in about a month.
During the finance report, Councilmember Gary Vojtush raised questions about several line items in the financial reports Ms. Potvin provided. Potvin said part-time police pay is above budget because the council had not converted two part-time officers to full-time this spring amid COVID-19 budget concerns; correspondingly, the full-time officer salary line is under budget. She explained that the part-time pay line in the Service Department covers the Village's part-time electrician. The Council Other Expenses line included extra purchases of Veterans Banner supplies because the Village secured a favorable price and wanted to stock supplies for future years.
Mr. Vojtush also asked about a $61 expense in Mayor's Court and a Mayor's Court computer contractual-services line. Ms. Potvin said the $61 may relate to postage and that the computer expense likely reflects higher-than-anticipated support or maintenance fees; she committed to investigate those two items further and follow up with Mr. Vojtush.
Ms. Potvin emphasized that none of the items she reviewed required an appropriation amendment because spending remained within the larger appropriated budget categories where the subline items appear. The appropriation amendment on the evening's agenda, she said, was a separate emergency measure tied specifically to meeting requirements for receiving CARES Act funds.
The council did not request immediate further action beyond Ms. Potvin's promise to report back on the Mayor's Court items. The audit report's arrival in about a month was the next fiscal milestone mentioned.
