NJ Fire Districts is one of our Specialties

Budget 2012

The 2012 Budget is the first year to utilize the Levy Cap Bank. If your 2011 Budget was less than the Levy Cap, you banked that amount and are able to increase future levy caps by that amount for any of the subsequent three budget years. You do need to attach the district’s Fire District Levy Cap Certification for Fiscal Year 2012 to the annual budget. This document is obtained from the GovConnect web site.

The other major change for the 2012 Budget is that decreases in Capital Appropriations and Debt Service will not result in a decrease in the levy cap as in prior year budgets.

Other important reminders for budget preparations: all capital appropriations on Page 9 of the budget need voter approval prior to the introduction of the budget; there are new rules regarding the utilization of general and capital surplus; and all required state filings (audit, corrective action plan, CNC-3, et.al.) need to be received before the budget will be approved.


Is Your Audit Deficient?

  • Recent accounting promulgations have reduced the type of services your auditor can do. If your auditor prepares journal entries and you don’t understand them, your auditor is making management decisions and therefore is not independent, so you have a deficient audit.
  • You may have heard your auditor mention SAS112. This is one of those new regulations. One requirement is that the client be capable of preparing their financial statements. Do you even know where some of those numbers in the audit come from? Deficient audit.
  • The auditor is not permitted to prepare the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” which is required to be included with the audited financial statements. The client must prepare the MD&A. Does your auditor prepare yours and then you sign it as if you understand it? Deficient audit.

Koerner & Koerner, P.A. is your answer to SAS 112 compliance. If your district is within ninety minutes of Toms River, Oliver Walling, C.P.A. will meet with the board and discuss these issues in greater detail. Oliver has audited fire districts for 25 years and has been a fire district consultant for the last seven years. Koerner & Koerner, P.A. currently services sixteen fire districts. Fire district auditors are referring their clients to Koerner & Koerner, P.A. to eliminate any questions about their independence in the fire district audit. The auditors recognize the benefits of our service including a clean, organized set of books and records for them to audit.

There is no cost for an initial consultation. Oliver will come to a regular board meeting of all the commissioners, or just meet with one or two of the commissioners. If the board realizes the need and value of the firm’s services, Oliver will prepare a full proposal for the board to consider.