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Story Archives: Legislature Auditor's report on Catahoula Parish Police Jury
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Legislature Auditor's report on Catahoula Parish Police Jury
Legislature Auditor Steve J. Theriot has released a 21-page audit of the Catahoula Parish Police Jury's finances conducted at the request of the Jury to determine whether "dedicated tax revenues were being spent for other than their dedicated purposes."
Auditors found this to be the case in some instances and offered a number of recommendations.
The Jury spent dedicated sales and ad valorem tax revenues for other than their dedicated purposes, according to the audit, and records reflected that "dedicated tax revenues totaling approximately $385,00 were 'borrowed' from the parish's special revenue funds and used improperly to support the General Fund's obligation of paying the expenses of the district attorney and the two criminal court judges of the 7th Judicial District Court."
A number of recommendations were made in the audit report. Auditors say the Jury should:
-- Comply with state law and immediately "stop spending dedicated tax revenues for other than their dedicated purposes" and should "cease commingling dedicated revenues with general revenues (in the same bank account) and establish separate bank accounts, at a minimum, for the General Fund and the Criminal Court Fund."
-- Have its Finance Committee formulate a plan in writing to repay all dedicated revenues, including interest, "that were spent improperly on obligations of the General Fund. The police jury should consider the feasibility of issuing bonds and/or obtaining a loan to repay/restore the dedicated revenues so that they can be immediately available for their dedicated purposes (e.g. roads, sanitation, library, etc.)"
-- Develop a plan in writing that includes short and long-term spending cuts, and monitor on a monthly basis whether the plan is meeting its objective.
-- Address "adequacy/availability of fine revenues with the district attorney and judges since these revenues can impact the allocation of revenues from the General Fund. We advise the police jury that fine revenues have declined from $176,018 in 1998 to a low of $36,974 in 2007, a significant decline of almost 80 percent over the 10-year period."
-- Should ask district attorney and judges to submit annual line-item budget requests and if the money isn't available, meet with them to resolve "differences before the start of the fiscal year...the police jury...must cease paying expenses of the district attorney and judges with monies dedicated to other purposes."
-- Should revise and prioritize its capital outlay projects based on need.
-- Should not use "police jury employees and equipment to put police jury materials on private property. As we understand there have been overlay/hard surface extensions added to three parish roads (Powell Road, Ryan Road and Girod Road) to allow better access to private driveways/property." In the future, the Jury was advised to "consult with the district attorney" on the work that was done and comply with state law in the future which prohibits work on private property.
-- May have violated state law by "donating services of its employees and the use of its equipment and materials to the villages of Harrisonburg and Sicily Island. As a result, parish sales tax revenues dedicated for maintaining parish roads may have been improperly spent on maintaining village roads."
-- Should maintain better controls over the three fuel pumps at the maintenance yard.
-- Should require the treasurer "to prepare complete and accurate monthly financial statements and budget comparisons on all funds and formally present them at the regular meetings." The treasurer should explain reasons for "significant budget variances, including warnings of any corrective action needed."
Additionally, the auditors made recommendations concerning ethics, budgeting, financial reporting, account system procedures, disbursements, procure/purchasing, contracts, cellular phones, payroll record keeping, capital assets, credit cards, travel, gasoline and diesel inventories, retention of public records and computers.
The complete audit report can be found on the Louisiana Legislature Auditor's website at http://www.lla.state.la.us/. |
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