Hurley, Accountants Grapple With Mystery Bills Maya Schubert/Kingston Wire

The Hurley Town Board has approved the hiring of an accounting firm to replace the town’s former firm, which is trying to collect from the town an outstanding balance officials say cannot be verified.

At Tuesday evening’s meeting, the board agreed to retain Bonadio & Co. to perform accounting services for the town at an hourly rate of between $150 and $400. The decision came after the town encountered issues with its previous firm, RBT.

According to Hurley Supervisor Melinda McKnight, the town began receiving mysterious invoices from RBT after it merged last July with Sickler, Torchia, Allen & Churchill. McKnight said the invoices, which now add up to about $12,000, date back to before she took office but do not specify what services the firm is billing for.

She added that the town worked with Sickler, Torchia, Allen & Churchill for years and never had a problem.

“The town has done business with that firm for a very long time,” she said. “For a very long time that company served the town very well.”

RBT Managing Partner Michael Turturro told Kingston Wire that the firm just reached out to McKnight to discuss the invoices in question.

“I am confident all concerns can be addressed and resolved,” he said.

The only naysayer of the resolution to hire Bonadio was Councilman Mike Boms, who said accounting should be maintained in-house by a town staff member. McKnight told Kingston Wire that the town is transitioning to in-house bookkeeping, but that Bonadio was hired for services like quarterly reviews, internal audits and budget presentations, which might not be conducted otherwise and would keep the town’s finances organized.

“They'll be advising us and guiding us,” she said.

The board also approved a resolution to decrease overestimated funds in several budget lines and increase underestimated funds in others. The funding decreased included independent auditing and accounting by $5,000, buildings personnel by $15,000 and recycling personnel by $40,000. Increased funding included records management contractual by $500, highway superintendent contractual by $6,400, and highway garage equipment by $2,000. The board also passed a resolution hiring two part-time transfer station attendants.

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