The Patterson Town Board announced today that their ongoing investigation into the finances of the Patterson Fire Department has been taken over by state and federal authorities. They report their probe was launched several weeks ago when the actions of a few members were called into question. The Board stated that while the vast majority of the members are decent hard working volunteers it is also a shame that several members actions have cast a bad light on the entire department. No actual members were named in the press release and the board reports that neither the state or federal authorities have given them any new information into the audit. The Town Board has been working diligently with the officers of the Patterson Fire Department to ensure proper fiscal oversight is in place in order to avoid a reoccurrence of the loss of public funds. The board's press release did not say how much, if any, public funds might be missing. The Board is committed to working with state auditors and looks forward to receiving the conclusions and recommendations upon completion of the probe.
The Patterson fire department is an independent contractor hired by the town and while the town has very limited authority to oversee the department's financial activities the investigation was triggered by the Town Board's insistence that the fire department provide certified financial audits as required by the state of New York. This is the second probe into a local fire department's finances. Several weeks ago the Mahopac Fire Department came under scrutiny when it was discovered what could be upwards of a million dollars is missing from thier finances. A federal investigation into that issue is currently underway.