Milan in the Press
| General store made Milan area a bustling community
By Anthony P. Musso
Poughkeepsie Journal July 1, 2009
While Milan is currently comprised of two hamlets — Lafayetteville and Rock City — during the 19th century it boasted several others, the most prominent being Jackson Corners.
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Milan board looks to fix 'financial mess'
Review showed inconsistencies in records
By Colin DeVries
Poughkeepsie Journal June 15, 2009
MILAN - After months of contentious debates over the town's finances, officials are working out solutions to correct the fiscal discrepancies.
Supervisor Richard Barrett said the town's fiscal problems have "snowballed" for several years and it has finally "come to a head."
Barrett said, "I was rather taken aback when the senior examiner from the state told me that the '07 figures did not agree with '08."
A few weeks ago, Barrett said, Joe Notro, senior examiner with the state comptroller's office, visited Wilcox Memorial Town Hall to review the town's financial records. He found, in addition to the QuickBooks software lacking the proper calibration for municipal accounting, the year-end financials reported in 2007 by former Supervisor John Van Talmage did not match the annual update document filed in spring 2008, or an audit conducted on the town's finances.
Notro also told Barrett the only report they should base financials on is the audit, because is it the only certified document.
Barrett said the 2008 annual update document that will be filed with the comptroller's office would use the audit's figures as a base.
Alternate software proposed
To help remedy the accounting software issues facing the town, Barrett said he would like to explore purchasing alternative municipal accounting software, specifically RDA.
An early estimate of the first-year costs of software, including the necessary hardware and servicing, is $21,500, Barrett said. Subsequent annual costs are estimated at $4,000, which includes technical support from the Georgia-based RDA Systems Company
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Crash victims recovering
in burn unit
The two teenagers rescued from a fiery pick-up truck crash in Milan on Friday night are recovering in the burn unit at Westchester Medical Center as of this afternoon.
Poughkeepsie Journal June 22
Father, son rescue teens from burning truck
Two upstate New York teenagers are recovering from a fiery pickup truck crash after a father and son pulled them from the vehicle just minutes before it exploded.Milan fire chief Greg Becker reported that two teens were driving down Shookville Road in Milan at around 5:30 p.m. Friday when they lost control of their pickup truck and struck a tree.
Daily Freeman June 22, 2009
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Councilwoman Diane May said the accounting software was not the issue.
The issue, she said, was Barrett, the town's chief financial officer, does not have accounting experience.
"(I am) asking that we not do anything further to complicate the financial mess that we now have in this town," May said at a recent meeting. "You (Barrett) have offered your opinion of other people's opinions, you have reduced nothing to writing and I'm telling you we're looking at a May financial report that is once again inaccurate and incomplete."
May and Councilman Ross Williams have abstained from approving the town's monthly financial reports for 2009, saying they are based on an inaccurate December 2008 report.
"To continue in this fashion is irresponsible of this board and supervisor," May said.
Councilman David Byrne said he believes Barrett is making the right moves in trying to fix the problems.
Williams said he is concerned about going forward without proper financials.
"I share Diane's concerns," he said. "We don't have good books to the point where I don't have confidence in financial reports."
No decision was made by the board to purchase the RDA software or hire an accounting consultant firm.
RECENT NEWS...
Why We Pay School Taxes
In early June, Newsweek published its annual list of 15,000 high schools that the magazine ranks as in the top 6 percent nationally. Red Hook High School was ranked 331 in the nation, while Rhinebeck High School came in at 1,370. Pine Plains doesn't seem to have made the list at all. We may complain about our school taxes, but it's good to know that the money is buying an excellent education for our students.
Magazine lauds local high schools
Daily Freeman June 11
Supervisor: Bookkeeping software outdated
Tensions flared over the poor state of the town's bookkeeping at a recent town board meeting, highlighting potential flaws in the financial records as well as dissension across party lines.
Board members Ross Williams and Diane May, the sole Democrats, abstained from accepting the financial reports for April, citing the fact the board has still not accepted the December 2008 financial report.
Poughkeepsie Journal May 18 READ MORE
Ban on troopers making ticket deals angers another judge
A second town justice in Dutchess County has joined the fight against a state police policy prohibiting state troopers
from offering plea bargains for traffic tickets.
Clinton Justice Barbara Seelbach last month dismissed “in the furtherance of justice” a speeding ticket issued by state
police, ruling it would be an “injustice” to allow the driver to be prosecuted by a trooper who is blocked by state policy
from plea-bargaining. Daily Freeman May 5,2009... READ MORE
Milan Justice in the News
Frank Christensen, one of Milan’s town justices, was mentioned (with a very nice photo) in a lengthy article in the New York Times on Sunday, February 22, 2009. The article was discussing the issue of state troopers no longer being allowed to plea bargain traffic tickets. Because other police officers can plea bargain, Justice Christensen believes this creates an unconstitutional situation of unequal protection in court. He refused to enforce the regulation and was sued under an Article 78 proceeding by the state police. He lost the case and asked the town to support an appeal.
The Republican-dominated town board refused, as is their invariable response to issues that require some backbone. Justice Christensen, as the article explains, is courageously pursuing the appeal at his own expense. You can read the whole story HERE.
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