As a retired CPA there is so much more that is important to know. Just because you hire an internal auditor does not mean they are given access or allocated time to pursue what could be issues of internal controls within the organization they work for. I worked for a very large hospital organization that assigned their internal auditors what was worked on. I was bringing up clear evidence of a larger issue and it was not in their planning for the year! That is why external is better, however, an audited financial statement specifically states that they do not look for fraud. Can you imagine the depth of work (and cost) they would have to do to identify fraud? I personally find audits a waste of time but rather a pacifier for people to have some illusion of safety and security!!! I've worked for many a company in my years where fraud went on. Some I could get prosecuted and some I just had to leave! One of them, the owners all ended up in prison. Just my 2 cents!
Thank you for your comment. There have been instances of fraud within our County that are either being overlooked by the Auditor-Controllers office, or are being deliberately concealed so the public does not know how money is being spent. Do you have suggestions as to how this can be remedied? I am all ears.
I reviewed the most recent posted audited financial statements, interestingly last one June 2022. There were issues with internal controls over specific programs, most related to handling of COVID $s and allocating costs as required by grants. Internal controls were also an issue the previous year. I will continue to dig as to what the community can do when the problem is identified by auditors and there is nothing more recent than 2022 to ensure that things have improved!
The County received $20 million in ARPA funds. We were looking into (and had done numerous Public Records Request), trying to track how the County spend all that money. The Community didn't get its share of those funds, I can tell you. Then between 2019-2020 Alison Lehman took a $90K raise that year. The Senior Executive staff also got huge raises. These were adjusted down the following year, but not to the pre 2019 level. Since then, Senior Staff salaries have continued to climb at an 8% average each year. The other thing,... when the County tried to push through Measure V, they illegally spent public funds which advocated for a yes vote. These expenditures were run through the Office of Emergency Services (OES) and were expensed in Services and Supplies. I went to speak with Gina Will and Elena Gagne about this. She pretended not to know about it. She then asked Caleb Dardich (assistant to Alison Lehman) about the expenditures. I have written about all this in The Union. ARPA stands for American Rescue Plan. All Counties in the U.S. got some of this money in exchange for pushing the vaccines and all the other draconian protocols during those early COVID Years. In other words "play ball" and then you get the money. There was no Federal oversight on how the money was spent. Lehman saw it as her personal piggy bank.
Would like to speak with you further vs this substack. I know you have done much work and I have separately, a few years back, also looked at the Fire Safe Council and have my own thoughts. My day is full but if you have my gmail we can communicate a method to connect. This entire state has been under poor direction and not surprised it's bled into our community. Time to take necessary action with good direction! There might be other counties that have been successful getting information and ways we can be impowered to hold those that are to represent us accountable. The risks are evident in the internal control reports from YE 6/21 & 6/22 that monies could need to be paid back for lack of compliance with the grants. That's how grants work :)
I totally concur, Kathy. From my time on the city council I saw and experienced the same thing. It is truly smoke and mirrors intended to pacify the masses!
Thank you Pauli for bringing this to our attention, one more time! It's outrageous the way Fire Safe Council's wastefulness and inefficiency have been covered up within our county's own entrenched power structures.
So sad to realize that nothing is going to change here, short of some miracle or a sudden visit by Elon Musk himself! We could surely use some help if there's any hope to expose and dismantle bureaucratic mentality in our county...😥
We need two term limits for the Supervisors.
As a retired CPA there is so much more that is important to know. Just because you hire an internal auditor does not mean they are given access or allocated time to pursue what could be issues of internal controls within the organization they work for. I worked for a very large hospital organization that assigned their internal auditors what was worked on. I was bringing up clear evidence of a larger issue and it was not in their planning for the year! That is why external is better, however, an audited financial statement specifically states that they do not look for fraud. Can you imagine the depth of work (and cost) they would have to do to identify fraud? I personally find audits a waste of time but rather a pacifier for people to have some illusion of safety and security!!! I've worked for many a company in my years where fraud went on. Some I could get prosecuted and some I just had to leave! One of them, the owners all ended up in prison. Just my 2 cents!
Thank you for your comment. There have been instances of fraud within our County that are either being overlooked by the Auditor-Controllers office, or are being deliberately concealed so the public does not know how money is being spent. Do you have suggestions as to how this can be remedied? I am all ears.
Just like DOGE, we need a team of people that understands how to join forces with knowledge within this community!!!
I reviewed the most recent posted audited financial statements, interestingly last one June 2022. There were issues with internal controls over specific programs, most related to handling of COVID $s and allocating costs as required by grants. Internal controls were also an issue the previous year. I will continue to dig as to what the community can do when the problem is identified by auditors and there is nothing more recent than 2022 to ensure that things have improved!
The County received $20 million in ARPA funds. We were looking into (and had done numerous Public Records Request), trying to track how the County spend all that money. The Community didn't get its share of those funds, I can tell you. Then between 2019-2020 Alison Lehman took a $90K raise that year. The Senior Executive staff also got huge raises. These were adjusted down the following year, but not to the pre 2019 level. Since then, Senior Staff salaries have continued to climb at an 8% average each year. The other thing,... when the County tried to push through Measure V, they illegally spent public funds which advocated for a yes vote. These expenditures were run through the Office of Emergency Services (OES) and were expensed in Services and Supplies. I went to speak with Gina Will and Elena Gagne about this. She pretended not to know about it. She then asked Caleb Dardich (assistant to Alison Lehman) about the expenditures. I have written about all this in The Union. ARPA stands for American Rescue Plan. All Counties in the U.S. got some of this money in exchange for pushing the vaccines and all the other draconian protocols during those early COVID Years. In other words "play ball" and then you get the money. There was no Federal oversight on how the money was spent. Lehman saw it as her personal piggy bank.
Would like to speak with you further vs this substack. I know you have done much work and I have separately, a few years back, also looked at the Fire Safe Council and have my own thoughts. My day is full but if you have my gmail we can communicate a method to connect. This entire state has been under poor direction and not surprised it's bled into our community. Time to take necessary action with good direction! There might be other counties that have been successful getting information and ways we can be impowered to hold those that are to represent us accountable. The risks are evident in the internal control reports from YE 6/21 & 6/22 that monies could need to be paid back for lack of compliance with the grants. That's how grants work :)
theprimalcuisine@gmail.com
email me, give me your phone number, and we can get together.
The Hidden Costs of Measure V
https://www.theunion.com/news/community/ideas-opinions-pauli-halstead-the-hidden-costs-of-measure-v/article_2900347c-218d-11ee-811b-cbe37a8b1aa9.html
I totally concur, Kathy. From my time on the city council I saw and experienced the same thing. It is truly smoke and mirrors intended to pacify the masses!
Thank you Pauli for bringing this to our attention, one more time! It's outrageous the way Fire Safe Council's wastefulness and inefficiency have been covered up within our county's own entrenched power structures.
So sad to realize that nothing is going to change here, short of some miracle or a sudden visit by Elon Musk himself! We could surely use some help if there's any hope to expose and dismantle bureaucratic mentality in our county...😥