Here is the comment that McHenry County Finance Committee member Nick Provenzano wrote under the article about the County Board’s pending vote to allow the public to see the Veterans dental care audit:
Pam Palmer
Audits are completed by the Auditor [Pam Palmer] on behalf of the County Board.
The County Board can waive the FOIA exemption with a simple majority vote.
The fact that I had to fight for four months to get to the point where I was able to cast a vote to waive the FOIA exemption at the Finance Committee is ludicrous.
Cudos to new Finance Chairman Mike Skala for not giving up until we got a chance to vote on this.
This Audit was completed so long ago that they even had time to bake two, yes, two rounds of management responses into it (CYA x 2).
My position has been clear:
Nick Provenzano
ALL audits (internal or otherwise) should be released to the public.
The good ones and the bad ones.
Let the public sort out if corrective actions were sufficient.
I’ve been told that we can’t release internal audits because employees will not cooperate in future audits if we do.
My response is ALL government workers are at-will employees – if they don’t cooperate on an internal audit you should be shown the door.
I’ve read this audit and until the full county board approves its release, I can’t tell you what’s in it.
But I can certainly describe my reaction to the results:
I was dismayed, disgusted and then totally pissed off.
I can’t wait until I’m allowed to publicly explain why I will be calling for, no, DEMANDING, a stronger follow-up to this audit.
The fact that it took 14 MONTHS to release the original findings is unbelievable.
That’s right the audit was completed in April of 2014 but I’ll let others explain why they needed 14 months and another round of corrective action/management responses before they were ready to share it with their bosses – the taxpayers.
Cal, You won’t have to FOIA this audit.
I will give you my copy as soon as we cast our votes on Tuesday.
That is if the Board decides to release it….
I just find it funny that the only one with an MBA and going for their PhD is no longer on Finance and Audit.
People with the most knowledge are no longer on F&A. People who have real experience in these matters are divided and we know this.
I am also looking forward to my colleague explaining these things.
Should be a great time for all.
We need more transparency in McHenry County – it was one of my main themes of my campaign.
“I’ve read this audit and until the full county board approves its release, I can’t tell you what’s in it.”
Or what, your colleagues will give you dirty looks?
What’s the penalty, if any, for disclosing this document?
Bookkeeping errors happens and isn’t it up to the auditor to point out this without assuming mischief or worse? It sound as the McHenry board are looking to micro manage the auditor’s office.
@rawdogger:
I asked that some time ago and our lawyers told me that if I release it BEFORE the board votes to officially release it, anyone mentioned in the Audit (especially mentioned poorly) could sue me as an individual, I assume all liability.
If the board votes to release then the people mentioned could still sue but they would be suing the County Board and not me personally.
Dirty looks aside, that’s pretty scary stuff.
@Picaro’s travel:
The auditor’s office and Pam Palmer found all these issues and identified them as issues.
My big beef is with the people that the Auditor’s office investigated.
Auditor Palmer and I just disagree on the transparency of audits.
I see her point, if the board wants to waive the FOIA exemption then let them vote on it.
She also has said all internal audits should be kept under exemption to ensure the effectiveness of the auditing tools.
Well, if this was IBM or for you kids, GOOGLE, that would be fine but were talking about the taxpayer’s money not some private entity.
The people have a right to know.
How many internal audits went unreleased in Dixon, IL until Rita Crundwell was discovered?
$53 million over 22 years!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Crundwell
People are really getting tired of the government PR machines.
Transparency should trump image control.
Taxpayer dollars paid for the audit, it should be the taxpayer’s audit, and the taxpayers should be able to read the audit they paid for.
Would you pay for a book you couldn’t read?
Does the Illinois Auditor General keep any of it’s audits secret?
http://www.auditor.illinois.gov/audit-reports/performance-audits.asp
http://www.auditor.illinois.gov/Audit-Reports/ABC-List.asp
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There’s an Illinois Association of County Auditors.
Pam Palmer, the McHenry County Auditor, is its President.
http://www.illinoiscountyauditors.us
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Salary information
Open The Books widget
Pamela K Palmer
McHenry County
2014 – $111,250
2013 – $111,250
2012 – $111,238
2011 – $107,519
2010 – $101,330
2009 – $093,397
2008 – $089,805
2007 – $086,351
2006 – $085,402
2005 – $058,639
2004 – $058,080
2003 – $053,861
2002 – $051,789
2001 – $047,189
2000 – $045,270