Montauk Fire District Overpaid Employees, Audit Finds

Thirteen Montauk Fire District advanced life support (ALS) employees were overpaid a combined total of $9,386 due to inconsistent time records and other payroll paperwork issues, according to a New York State audit.

Auditors with State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office wrote in their 14-page report that among the issues found were the district’s secretary-treasurer did not reconcile time records before processing payroll, enabling three ALS employees to overlap their shifts at the neighboring Amagansett Fire District between January 2023 and March 2024. The board chair then did not catch the overpayments before certifying payroll, the audit found.

“Because there was a lack of board oversight and controls, the error and early implementation of (an) increased hourly rate went undetected, resulting in a total overpayment,” the audit stated. “ District officials disagreed with certain aspects of our findings but indicated they plan to initiate corrective action.”

Auditors note that payroll is one of the largest components of a fire district’s budget and that payroll for ALS employees totaled 64% of the district’s total budgeted payroll of $510,000.

The state recommended that the district verify that payroll is accurate before certifying it by confirming the hourly rates used in the calculation.

The audit also found inconsistencies with how ALS employees clock in and out that the state recommended that the district resolve to avoid confusion.

“The employees were paid the correct wage, but the correct wage was not accurately recorded in the minutes by the secretary treasurer,” the district wrote in response to the audit. “The board members failed to realize the error when they reviewed and approved the final draft of the minutes.”

The state responded that “it is the board’s responsibility to ensure those records are accurate and reflect the board’s intent.”