April 21, 2022
From The NYS Comptrollers Office:
Audit Objective – To Determine whether the City of Hornell Common Council provided sufficient oversight of the Business Improvement District (HPG) to ensure it operated in accordance with the business district plan. The Hornell Common Council did not provide sufficient oversight of the BID and the BID Plan lacked sufficient detail to allow city officials to adequately monitor the use of BID funds. The council did not enter into a written agreement with the district management association or monitor how the association used BID funds, resulting in revenues of at least $3,915 that were unaccounted for and 138 questionable disbursements by the association’s executive director totaling $24,955. Based upon audit findings and a subsequent investigation, the executive director of the association was arrested in January 2020 and charged with Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree. On January 7, 2022, the executive director pled guilty to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and was ordered to pay $1,711 in restitution.
Audit Period April 1, 2015 – October 2, 2017.
From Mayor John Buckley: “While we agree with the findings in regards to the actions of the former executive and general lack of oversight, we strongly disagree with the assertion that the City Chamberlain and Common Council are responsible for the lack of oversight operations of the Business District (Hornell Partners for Growth).”
