Take Back the Night Walk

 

Please wear something PURPLE.

 

 

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150 Years Ago

Today is the 150th anniversary of the death of President Abraham Lincoln. 

Yesterday's NY Times proclaimed "Abraham Lincoln, the One President All of Them Want to Be More Like" http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/us/politics/abraham-lincoln-the-one-president-all-of-them-want-to-be-more-like.html

His sayings are legendary ... a few of my favorites:

“Citizens may swear allegiance to one party or the other and believe with all their might that they are right, but once an election is passed, and until the next election, they should be one people.”

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”  

“Tact: the ability to describe others as they see themselves.”

“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” 

- - - Pete Stenson 

NEW EG ACCOUNTING SYSTEM??

I agree with most of Councilperson Mary Ann Matters’ 3/18/15 Town Board Meeting statement that “The Town of East Greenbush needs reliable accounting, reconciliation and reporting software, and we need it now!”  However, I believe the Town Board should proceed with care. 

I chaired CFAC when it issued its 9/11/13 recommendation that the “Town Board authorize the Town Comptroller and Purchasing Agent to investigate and acquire new accounting software…”  Thankfully, the Town Board did not act.

Yes, “thankfully”.  Selecting a new accounting system is not as simple as buying a truck or copier and, in hindsight, shouldn’t be entrusted to one or two people.  Proper planning and thorough research are essential for such an important purchase.

 

The Town Comptroller states he needs to "learn and discern" the transactions and "earn the privilege" of acquiring a new accounting software whenever the topic arises.  Once he does (he’s been in office for 15 months), the Board should establish a proper selection process.

Such a process should include a User Group’, consisting possibly of the Supervisor, one Board Member, Comptroller, Purchasing Agent, Finance Director, representatives from DPW, Police and one or two the smaller Departments.  The ‘User Group’ should ask and answer, at a minimum, such questions as:

• What pro forma reports are required and/or desired?
• How easily can ad hoc reports be generated for the Supervisor and Town Board?
• Should it interact with the Town’s Payroll provider's system?
• it include a Purchasing Module which accommodates the Town’s Purchasing Policy approval requirements?
• Should Department Heads be able to view their Revenue and Expense data?
• Will the Town's mainframe be able to support both new and old systems or can the old data be incorporated into a new system for historic purposes?
• Is the system expandable?

Any process should also include identifying the software used in other Capital District municipalities, how content they are with same, and the systems’ strengths and weaknesses.  Follow-up would include site visits to observe the software in operation.

Yes, new accounting software is needed, but proceed with care!

Pete Stenson

East Greenbush

CFAC - Meeting

CFAC is meeting this Wednesday, April 8 at the East Greenbush Library, Education & Employment Resource Room from 6:45p - 8:45p. 

The Agenda can be found at http://eastgreenbush.org/news/814-cfac-meeting-.

 

 

 

Happy Easter!