Arlington Fire District state audit brings changes 8/14/12

[JetPhoto 626]

Arlington Fire District state audit brings changes

The Arlington Fire District pledges to have increased transparency, better record keeping, clearly defined roles and a more efficient operation as a response to the state’s audit, Chief Tory Gallante said.

The audit, issued in May by the Office of the State Comptroller, covered a period from 2009 through 2010. It raised questions of oversight and spending within the district. It called for the district to create new policies in dealing with vehicle and fuel purchasing, overtime, volunteer workers and technology.

Richard Sandison, 68, said he is still concerned with the tax burden on the residents.

“Actions have been offered to fix this problem, (but) I believe we still have a long way to go to bring the tax in line with what other towns in the area pay,” he said

Gallante said the district has 76 career employees and 89 volunteers as of Aug. 9

* No other department in the area has as many volunteer & paid firefighters as Arlington

For 2012 the taxes for assessed value at 100% in Arlington was $4.89 per thousand

Compared to

LaGrange @ $2.44 per thousand - Mixed volunteer & paid - unknown amount of personal

Fairview, town of Poughkeepsie @ $5.72 per thousand - Hyde Park, $10.59 per thousand (54% of assessed value in Hyde Park) Mixed volunteer & paid - unknown amount of personal

New Hamburg $1.35 per thousand - all volunteer

(Tax rates as printed by the Dutchess County Real Property Tax department for year 2012)http://www.co.dutche...axrates2012.pdf

As with every department, policy's and procedures should be reviewed often

http://www.poughkeep...psieJournal.com

Edit: added link

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Can you include a link to the actual article?

[JetPhoto 626]

Sorry I added it.

[dadbo46 50]

_{Actual audit report from the OSC:}

_{http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/firedists/2012/arlington.pdf}

[gamewell45 258]

I would say, let the district fix the problems and move forward from this issue.

[WAS967 97]

Hyde Park, $10.59 per thousand (54% of assessed value in Hyde Park)

Am I the only one that find this number rediculously high? Does this include EMS costs as EMS is outsourced to NDP in the district?

[JetPhoto 626]

Am I the only one that find this number rediculously high? Does this include EMS costs as EMS is outsourced to NDP in the district?

That is for the Fairview section of Hyde Park only. Fairview runs it's on ambulance any ALS is handled by Mobile Life