This year’s county audit results presentation was a whole lot quieter than last year’s, and we’re not sure why.
The audit found four material and nine significant problems.
No commissioners appeared on any television newscasts to carry on about the audit, no commissioners took personal shots at staffers. In fact, the audit was approved lickety-split, with barely a comment at all.
The difference between this year and last? A new auditor and the lack of finger-pointing.
The firm used for this audit, unlike last year’s, seemed to be able to keep its findings quiet until the last minute.
It’s certainly possible that a commissioner or two did know the audit’s contents ahead of fellow commissioners; the finance office had the complete audit before the public presentation. That office was responsible for providing responses to the findings for presentation to the full commission panel.
The slideshow, however, failed to mention that of the 13 issues found — and the majority of the findings pointed at the management of the finance office.
That the audit found issues in finance comes as no shock either, as this newspaper has reported on the failings of that office on a number of occasions.
Commissioner Steve Mason said after Tuesday’s meeting that “we fired people last year for less.”
We’d have to agree.
We’d also have to agree that it’s past time for commissioners to take some punitive action where Finance Director Joanna Wright is concerned.
In addition to the problems the audit found, that included the failure to deposit four checks from the GDOT totaling $730,300 in anything close to a timely manner, Effingham Now has reported on the failure of that office to pay vendors on time, respond to vendors questions regarding payments and the overpayment of a lease for several years.
Effingham County deserves better than this.
We don’t expect anything to happen, however, at least until after the next election.
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County water customers have every right to be fuming.
County commissioners approved a rate increase apparently without a word of warning to their customers.
Some customers found their bills had more than doubled, with some reporting their water bills were higher than their electric bills.
The increase was a surprise to customers, but the impact of the increase shouldn’t have been to county commissioners or staff.
The county should have had more sense.
The rate hikes were meant to help offset rate increases from Savannah.
That’s understandable and we don’t disagree that rates needed to go up.
We do have a problem with not warning your customers about an upcoming rate change.
We are glad to see commissioners will take another look at the hike and will discuss it at their next meeting.
Discussion plans are the result of complaints, many in District 2, where most of the customers reside, according to Commissioner Vera Jones.
We hope this is a lesson for commissioners and staff that some notice always helps smooth the way.