Read the June 2026 audit Click HERE
Post
June 16, 2026
Author: Charles Steven (Charles Steven)
Post
Playing Jury in Their Own Trial — The Board’s Sham Audit Statement
The Village Board’s recent statement regarding the devastating New York State Comptroller’s audit is a textbook attempt to escape accountability. It uses smooth, carefully crafted language to project forward momentum, but beneath the surface, it is a masterclass in dodging responsibility. The most offensive line in their statement is this: “…we also know that pointing...
Post
Chaos by Design: Inside the Village Hall Shell Game
OP-ED: Is the Village Hall Financial Chaos by Design? When you connect the pieces of the New York State Comptroller’s June 2026 follow-up audit, a chilling picture emerges. This isn’t just a story of lazy bookkeeping or a difficult software transition. When a village board leaves a multi-million-dollar accounting system in total disarray for three...
Post
THE $350,000 DAM FUND RAID: How a Borrowed Infrastructure Fund Will Hit Taxpayer Pockets
When a village board borrows money, it isn’t a blank check to spend as they please.. In December 2019, the Village of Wappingers Falls took out a $350,000 loan ( a Bond Anticipation Note) that was legally restricted and explicitly earmarked for one single purpose: repairing the village dam. But the Village Board never even...
Post
The Missing Mayor and the Lost Signature Stamp
The level of fiscal mismanagement and disregard for your hard-earned tax dollars is truly appalling. The Mayor did not review debt payments, failed to maintain required transfer paperwork, and could not locate his physical signature stamp—which was being manually stamped onto massive transfers without his documented consent. When the state tried to call and email...
Post
The Treasurer’s Changed, But the Board Didn’t: Debunking Village Hall’s Latest Excuse
THE “TREASURER TURNOVER” EXCUSE: Why It Doesn’t Fly. I recently spoke with a Village Trustee who tried to blame the scathing June 2026 State Comptroller follow-up audit on “rapid treasurer turnover.” Let’s cut that deflection right at the start: High turnover is not an excuse for a lack of oversight—it is the exact moment keen...
Post
New State Audit Slams Village’s Lack of Financial Progress
Missing Stamps, Diverted Funds, and $4.2M Unreconciled: The State’s Shocking Wappingers Falls Audit Update If you have followed ny FB group you know I’ve repeatedly questioned our local government’s lack of transparency and fiscal oversight. The NY State Comptroller’s newly released June 2026 report just validated every single one of those concerns. The state warns...
Post
Transparency Sidelined as Village Board Adopts Budget and Salary Hikes Without Public Hearing
WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY — In a move that raises significant ethical questions regarding municipal governance, the Wappingers Falls Village Board recently adopted the 2026-2027 fiscal budget while bypassing a previously scheduled public hearing. The decision has left residents concerned about the erosion of procedural transparency. A Canceled Mandate A public hearing regarding the budget was...
Post
The Math Doesn’t Add Up: How the 2027 Budget Hides the Real Cost of Government
The Reality Check: “The Board is proposing a low tax increase to make the budget look responsible. But the numbers tell a different story. To keep taxes this low, they used $751,765 in utility money this year—a move with no historical precedent and no supporting paperwork. If they don’t do that again next year, the...
Post
BUDGET ALERT: Transparency is Dead in Wappingers Falls
The Village Board is about to vote on a 2026-2027 budget that the public has never actually seen. At the April 7th public hearing, the Board presented a “tentative budget” that was nothing more than a copy-and-paste of last year’s numbers. They asked for your input on a placeholder document while, behind closed doors, they...