Posted: | January 28, 2016 03:01 PM |
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From: | Senator Patrick J. Stefano and Sen. Kim L. Ward |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Legislation giving Auditor General the authority to audit county and muncipal authorities |
In the near future Senator Ward and I will be introducing legislation to authorize the Auditor General to conduct audits of county and municipal authorities. These authorities are entrusted with delivering vital services, including water, sewage and housing services. Despite these entities receiving significant tax dollars from both state and local governments, they do not fall under the oversight of the Auditor General. In a meeting with the Auditor General, he stated that requests to audit local authorities constitute the overwhelming majority of requests he must deny because his office is not authorized to handle them. As a former chairman of a sewage authority, I believe that this oversight is needed. Currently, these accounts are only audited by a firm of the board’s choosing. The knowledge of a possible audit by the Auditor General will not only ensure the best use of their funds, but serve as a deterrent to potential misuse and misallocation of any funds. If you have any questions regarding this legislation, please contact Ben Wren of my office or Geri Sarfert of Senator Ward’s office. |
Introduced as SB1223