Auditor General DePasquale Releases Audits for Volunteer Firefighters’ Relief Associations in 19 Counties
Auditor General DePasquale Releases Audits for Volunteer Firefighters’ Relief Associations in 19 Counties
HARRISBURG (Dec. 15, 2016) – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today announced the release of audit reports for volunteer firefighters’ relief associations in Allegheny, Beaver, Bucks, Chester, Clinton, Dauphin, Erie, Indiana, Lancaster, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Montgomery, Perry, Pike, Susquehanna, Washington, Westmoreland and York counties.
The Department of the Auditor General examines volunteer firefighters’ relief associations, which receive state aid from a 2 percent state tax on fire insurance premiums purchased by Pennsylvania residents from out-of-state casualty insurance companies.
In 2016, $65.5 million in state funds was required to be distributed through funding municipalities to 1,915 VFRAs to provide training, purchase equipment and insurance, and pay for death benefits for volunteer firefighters.
The full audit reports for VFRAs with findings are available online using the links provided below, others are available online at: www.PaAuditor.gov/audit-reports.
Allegheny County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: unauthorized expenditure.
Beaver County
Rochester VFRA – No findings
Bucks County
Chalfont VFRA – No findings
Northampton Township VFRA – No findings
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: failure to comply with terms of mortgage agreement. There was one observation: payment of rental fees to affiliated fire company during the current audit period may be considered excessive.
Yardley-Makefield VFRA – No findings
Chester County
Modena VFRA – No findings
Clinton County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: non-compliance with prior audit recommendation for failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.
Dauphin County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for four findings: failure to maintain a Pennsylvania sales tax exemption number, untimely deposit of state aid, failure to secure ownership interest in jointly purchased vehicle and equipment, and non-compliance with prior audit recommendation for failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for four findings: undocumented expenditure, failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster and non-compliance with prior audit findings for failure to maintain a complete and accurate membership roster, and inadequate relief association bylaws.
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for two findings: unauthorized expenditures and failure to maintain a Pennsylvania sales tax exemption number.
Erie County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for two findings: failure to deposit state aid, and duplicate payments.
Wesleyville VFRA – No findings
Indiana County
Cherryhill Township VFRA – No findings
Lancaster County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: insufficient bond coverage.
Quarryville VFRA – No findings
Luzerne County
Edwardsville VFRA – No findings
Lycoming County
South Williamsport VFRA – No findings
McKean County
Rew VFRA – No findings
Montgomery County
Limerick Township VFRA – No findings
Perry County
New Bloomfield VFRA – No findings
Pike County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: insufficient bond coverage.
Susquehanna County
Hallstead VFRA – No findings
Washington County
Fallowfield Township VFRA – No findings
Westmoreland County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for three findings: undocumented expenditures, failure to maintain bond coverage, and inadequate signatory authority for the disbursement of funds.
Seward VFRA – No findings
York County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: failure to maintain a complete and accurate membership roster.
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: failure to maintain bond coverage.
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