Internal auditor reports follow-up findings on community centers, detention finances and facilities grants

Ernest Button, the county’s internal auditor, presented an annual internal-audit update that summarized audits completed in the past fiscal year and outlined planned audits for the next year. Button said follow-up work at facilities and parks showed one moderate finding (inventory-accountability) and several lower-level items such as fire-extinguisher maintenance and signage.

Button said a financial assessment of the detention center showed the department is a net-cost area and that a FY24 deficit approached $11 million. He recommended management review per-diem rates for housing detainees, consider recruiting support for high-vacancy positions and assess whether a grant-administration position would be cost-effective. Button said he would provide more-detailed financial particulars in the posted report and that management committed to taking corrective steps.

Other audit work covered alternative work schedules and timekeeping, project management and grants in facilities and parks, and follow-ups on prior audit recommendations. Button said the audit office updated its charter and multi-year audit plan and plans a roads/engineering audit and a follow-up to facilities and services within months.

Commissioners asked for an audit recommendation to include suggested management actions rather than prescriptive steps; Button said he would provide recommendations intended for management consideration and that follow-up audits would check implementation. The board asked the auditor to return with recommendations to reduce the detention-center deficit and to post detailed reports when ready.