State Audit: Village Building Inspector Took More than $70K in Fees

New York State comptroller Tom DiNapoli has suggested the Village of the Branch re-examine its financial operations after finding the building inspector made more than $80,000 in just over a year - collecting more than $70,000 in fees alone. 

The state comptroller's office released an audit of the Village of he Branch's finances from June 1, 2011 to Oct. 31, 2012 that found the village's building inspector Jerry Harris made $84,197 during that time. 
 
Harris, an independent contractor for the village during the audit, had a contract that stated he received $8,000 annually for basic services plus 50 percent of certain permit fees. 

"Because there is no cap on the amount of fees paid to the building inspector, the village cannot know whether the inspector's compensation is excessive in any give year," wrote executive deputy comptroller Andrew SanFilippo in the state's report. 

Village of the Branch Mayor Tom Keon called Harris making $84,147 in earnings "very unusual" for a one year and four months, particularly collecting more than $73,000 in fees. 

"During that period of time, we have two very large projects in the Village that resulted in him earning a very high compensation," Keon said.  

The Smithtown branch of the Smithtown Public Library closed for more than a year as its Main Street home underwent extensive renovations that included an expansion, a new children's room, new young adult room and more. It re-opened in September 2012. 

Harris also received a portion of the building fees for the new LA Fitness that took over the former Waldbaum's in the Branch Shopping Center on Main Street. The storefront was under construction from February 2012 through LA Fitness's opening in October 2012 - a time period falling fully within the state's audit. Construction ripped up much a large portion of the shopping center's parking lot to install cesspools and rebuilt the facade of the building. 

Building permits and fees from these two large projects contributed to Harris having "atypical" earnings, according to Keon, who could not provide an estimate of Harris' average payment as the village's building inspector in prior years.

Keon said the village board has already correct action has been taken to fix those issues found by the state comptroller's report. Harris was hired as a village employee on April 9 and given an annual salary of $30,000. 

In addition, the state's audit found issues as village laws requires a village officer to be a resident of the municipality and sworn into office, Harris is a Port Jefferson resident. 

Keon said village officials have amended the village laws to allow Harris to live anywhere in Suffolk County to fulfill the resident requirements, and he will be sworn into office at a future meeting.