A state audit has found that the Village of Penn Yan failed to ensure proper competition in its procurement of goods and services for the local water treatment plant, increasing the risk of unnecessary costs for ratepayers.
The report, released by the Office of the New York State Comptroller, reviewed 195 purchases totaling approximately $1.15 million made between June 2023 and May 2024. Auditors found that 89 purchases, worth about $95,000, did not follow the village’s procurement policy. Additionally, six sole-source purchases, totaling $30,000, lacked documentation proving that the vendors were the only available providers.
One of the most costly findings involved the purchase of three water-tight, air-conditioned enclosures. Due to measurement errors, $32,000 worth of materials were deemed unusable, requiring adjustments to salvage some components.
The audit recommended that village officials improve procurement practices by seeking competition for all non-bid purchases, maintaining proper documentation, and ensuring engineering reviews before making capital purchases.
Village officials agreed with the recommendations and stated they would take corrective action.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].