A recent audit of West Palm Beach's fire assessment fee program has revealed significant documentation issues, raising concerns about the allocation of funds. The audit, covering the period from October 2017 to September 2021, identified approximately $877,000 in "questionable costs" related to insufficient documentation and improper fund transfers.

The Inspector General's report highlighted several key findings, including that nearly $446,000 in IT service costs lacked adequate support, making it unclear whether these expenses complied with fire service assessment requirements. Additionally, over $250,000 in funds transferred to the fire assessment fee fund for capital lease costs were not properly documented, leading to further questions about their legitimacy.

Mayor Keith James emphasized the importance of addressing these issues, stating that while the program generally operated as intended, the weaknesses in documentation must be rectified. "We are committed to ensuring all documentation and methodologies are clearly outlined by the end of this calendar year," he said.

In response to the audit, the city has already implemented corrective actions, including the creation of a separate reserve balance for fire assessment fees to ensure proper tracking of future expenditures. The finance department is also working on documenting processes for allocating fire assessment charges to improve transparency and compliance.

The city plans to continue collaborating with the Inspector General's office to ensure that all recommendations are met and that the fire assessment fee program operates effectively moving forward.