By LINDA KELLETT

C-S-E News Staff

FORT PLAIN — How do Fort Plain School Board members and district officials plan to remedy deficiencies identified in an Oct. 12 audit report issued by the state Comptroller’s Office?

Comptroller’s Office spokesperson Brian Butry on Tuesday said officials have made a number of recommendations about ways the district’s surplus fund balance can be used, including reducing district property taxes, increasing necessary reserves, paying off debt and financing one-time expenditures.

Additionally, auditors recommended the development of “a plan for the future funding and use of reserve funds” and “realistic expenditure and fund balance estimates for the annual budget.” The report, which contains the auditors’ findings and recommendations as well as the district’s response and action plan, can be found at: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/schools/2012/fortplain.htm,

In his reply to the state, Fort Plain Superintendent Douglas Burton noted the board “has taken the steps to make adjustments in reserve funds to accurately reflect the district’s liabilities and our long range fiscal plan.”

That includes transfers of money from the Retirement Contribution Reserve and adjustments to the Unemployment Reserve.

Among other avenues is a proposed increase in the funding amount of a capital reserve fund for vehicle purchases.

“By using this method (and future transportation aid as needed — with voter approval), the fleet requirements of the district could be met for at least the next ten years without incurring any additional debt and without creating a tax levy for that purpose,” Burton wrote in the district’s response to auditors.

On Tuesday, he suggested that vote would probably occur before the 2013-2014 election and school budget vote next spring. If the proposition didn’t pass, he said, “We would have to establish some other vehicle to maintain that requirement by the Comptroller’s Office to utilize or spend down” the fund balance.

Finally, despite recent criticism by former board member Donald Yerdon about the district’s transportation aid calculations, Burton said there was “no discussion regarding transportation aid with this audit.”

While on the board of education, Yerdon, who resigned in late 2011 after serving 14 months of a three-year term, took concerns about what he perceived to be potentially fraudulent practices to the Comptroller’s Office.

Burton on Tuesday said the audit was scheduled before the former board member allegedly lodged any concerns with the Comptroller’s Office.

He said, “The Comptroller’s Office is on a three to five year schedule. [The audit] was already in the process.”