Auditor General To Audit Walton Planning Department

[Bob Hudson]

Legislature Orders Audit of
Walton Planning Department

At the request of Senator Don Gaetz, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee today ordered a full examination of the operations of the Walton County Planning Department.

The department and its oversight by the Walton County Commission are already the subject of an ongoing Grand Jury probe. State Attorney Bill Eddins told state lawmakers that an examination of the county's planning transactions by the Florida Auditor General will not interfere with his investigation and that his office and state auditors will share information.

Among other revelations, the Grand Jury found almost $800,000 in uncollected fees that should have been paid by developers but were obscured by planning department employees.

This morning Senator Gaetz appeared before the Legislature's combined House and Senate committee to ask for the audit in order to "find and reveal the full extent of mismanagement and corruption, including the financial consequences to taxpayers of relationships between county planners and developers." The committee, including Democratic and Republican members of both chambers of the Legislature, gave unanimous approval to Gaetz's proposal.

An operational audit by the Auditor General is broad in scope, covers all financial records and evaluates the county's performance in establishing and maintaining internal controls, including policies designed to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse.

"The State Attorney and the Grand Jury are moving forward with their areas of jurisdiction. Indictments have already been returned and the criminal investigation is ongoing," Senator Gaetz said. "The Auditor General and her team will tweezer through all of the accounts, records and transactions involving the planning department. Whatever corruption exists must be rooted out and the county will receive from the Auditor General and must implement policies to put its house in order to prevent this breach of trust from happening again."

It was an operational audit by the state, also requested by Senator Gaetz and Representative Matt Gaetz, that revealed the full extent of failings and mismanagement by Okaloosa County government in that county's Tourist Development Council scandal.

Senator Gaetz said he is "ashamed" that another county government in Northwest Florida is the subject of an Auditor General's probe but he is proud of Walton County citizens who brought the planning department's misconduct to light. He explained that Walton County Commissioner Cindy Meadows was among those who contacted his office asking for the state's involvement.

The Auditor General will begin her work within the next several weeks.

 

[Suzanne Harris]

Thank God for Senator Don Gaetz.

 

[Misty]

Ongoing investigation??? Hmmm, that's interesting.

How pathetic is it that the very Commissioner who called Senator Gaetz is the same Commissioner that State Attorney Eddins targeted in his "witch hunt"?

I can hardly wait for the Auditor General's report!!

 

[Suzanne Harris]

I think you will see a very different story.

 

[Misty]

I think you will see a very different story.

I'd be willing to bet on that! I have no doubt. Not going to speculate much but I'd also be willing to bet the dirty politicians and the power brokers are going to be exposed...finally.

 

[Misty]

You also have to wonder how happy this makes State Attorney Bill Eddins?

 

[John G]

Eddins and Adkinson need to stay the hell out of way and let the State do their investigation.

You two had your chance and blew it. Friends are more important than your oaths of office.

Total embarrassment for the community that the Florida Joint Legislative Audit Committee had to meet to discuss Walton County and its on-going corruption.

Now the whole State of Florida can get involved and hopefully uncover more than some audit info.

Investigate Eddins and Adkinson please...

It's absolutely amazing that the "evil" commissioner that allegedly got an "unqualified" person a job is the one that blew the whistle to Senator Gatez...

The Grand Jury was a retaliatory Witch Hunt, nothing more. Shame on The State Attorney's Office and WCSO once again.

 

[Suzanne Harris]

They also need to look into the finance department and how there was no over site
under Bill Imfeld's watch.

 

[Misty]

They also need to look into the finance department and how there was no over site under Bill Imfeld's watch.

Geez Suzanne....who was it that said Imfeld came to us as a former FBI agent and a certified CPA who it "appears" was clueless in regard to almost a million dollars that went missing under his watch?? Oh wait...maybe it was me who suggested that his response to the GJ findings (calling the accounting firm) who wasn't aware the money was missing either, was lame at best.

Its coming.....

 

[Misty]

Bob Hudson,

The Auditor General has no enforcement authority. If fraud is suspected, the Auditor General may be required by professional standards to report it to those charged with the County’s governance and also to appropriate law enforcement authorities. Audit reports released by the Auditor General are routinely filed with law enforcement authorities. Implementation of corrective action to address any audit findings is the responsibility of the County’s board and management, as well as the citizens living within the boundaries of the County.

So, who really gets held accountable?

When the Auditor General conducted the audit on Okaloosa County they found 21 instances with the BCC and County Clerk of Courts and all the County and Clerk did was concur with the findings and have since taken some corrective measures.

I guess the point here is that if "citizens" were responsible for not collecting and/or miscalculating almost a million dollars of taxpayer money someone would be in prison for more than just perjury. I just can't grasp the concept that the State Attorney never looked at the missing money as a crime and its mind boggling that Government isn't held to a higher standard than the average citizen.