Tuesday, April 4, 2017

AUDIT: D.A.'S OFFICE RUNS IMPREST LIKE A SLUSH FUND

By Juan Montoya
A review of the Cameron County District Attorney's Imprest Fund has found that Luis V. Sanez's administration has used this emergency fund as a slush fund to to pay for such items as the renewal of bar licenses for his prosecutors and even two checks totaling $1,088.40 to pay lunches at Ricardo's Restaurant.

The findings were contained in the auditor's report that covered check registers and related receipts for the months of October 2015 to July 2016.

The DA's Office did not dispute the findings of the report.

Based on the report finalized on August 19, 2016, Asst. Auditor Rafael Garcia "strongly encouraged, (as per) County Policy, for all travel and registration fees to be presented to Commissioners’ Court prior to travel and should be processed through the Auditor’s Office.

Also, as per County Purchasing procedures, purchases over $500 and less than $14,999, that three (3) written quotes are obtained. In the case of an emergency purchases, a Discretionary Exemption Purchase Form should be attached to the invoice/receipt."

Total non-emergency expenditures incurred for the stated period were $14,750.58 and consisted of the following:
Travel ($2,110.95);
Registration Fees ($1,160.00);
Attorney Continuing Education ($1,379.00);
Attorney State Bar Dues ($538.00);
Contributions ($2,250.00);

Books/Publications/Subscriptions ($290.40);
District Attorney Sponsored Events ($2,060.56);
and Other Expenses such as office supplies, water, petty cash reimbursements, copies, etc. ($4,961.67).
Some of the registration fees and travel checks, not all, were presented to Commissioners’ Court after the date of the conference and/or travel.

*Ck #2663 and Ck #2674 issued to Ricardo’s Restaurant totaled $1,088.40 and should have followed Cameron County Purchasing procedures; 3 written quotes are required for payments over $500.

*Purchases for office supplies; petty cash replenishments; staff travel, training and conferences; employee reimbursements (including automobile), staff on-line courses, staff state bar dues; books, publications, and subscriptions; expenses for sponsored events; and contributions to name a few, should be processed through the Accounts Payable departments since these type of expenditures are not deemed an “emergency”.

All disbursements are approved by the District Attorney and/or a supervisor.

It is the Auditor’s Department understanding that no written policies and procedures exist for the managing of the Emergency Imprest Account, but procedures being followed are intended to reflect that of the Cameron County Purchasing Department.

The auditor's recommended that the DA's Offices hould process all expenditures deemed as non-emergency through the County Accounts Payable Department and that all travel and registration fees should be presented to Commissioners Court prior to travel and processed through the Auditor’s Accounts Payable Department.

Purchases over $500 but less than $14,999 should have 3 written quotes and in case of an emergency purchase, it should have the discretionary exempt purchase form attached to the invoice/receipt.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Better the Mexicans of us do that than the Pinche Gringos. Get with the program, juanito.

Anonymous said...

Get a life ! Other departments are worse report on those

Anonymous said...

So what....

Anonymous said...

PURAS RATA'S

Anonymous said...

Who cares????

Anonymous said...

So what Juanita the voters of Cameron county re-elected Luis graciously in spite of all the wrong and shameless doings. So write all the negative postings it ain't going to change that Luis is and will remain in office 3 years 7 months more. No mas paque sepan le vale Madre el bigoton. Fuck county policy. No elected official has to follow county policy and their ain't a dam thing the commissioner court can do about it.

Anonymous said...

Chef Ricardos luncheon was for the meeting of "team Saenz" organizing to beat Sylvia Garza Perez out of office. This shit is serious.

Anonymous said...

Obviously, the voters of Cameron County don't care....thus these kind of expenditures will continue in all offices of the county. As long as the citizens expect corruption, our elected officials will provide them with just that. Luis Saenz sees the public tax payers as his golden goose and he uses that goose whenever he wants, for whatever he wants.

Anonymous said...

No need to organize the voters she backstab will vote for a dog no mas la Vieja loca bipolar Sylvia is a rat

Anonymous said...

I wanna work for cameron county.

rita