Audit: Library finances in decline

The Opelousas-Eunice Public Library ended 2015 with a $39,268 deficit, according to an audit released Monday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor.
The audit prompted Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot to restate his desire that Eunice operate its library separately from Opelousas.
“I really think for the best case would be for us to split because I think we would be able to manage our money better than the way it is being done now,” he said.
The audit for the year ended Dec. 31, 2015, was conducted by Vige, Tujague & Noel, of Eunice.
The Opelousas-Eunice Public Library has total revenues of $473,797 and expenses of $513,065 for a defict of $39,268.
The library’s beginning fund balance was $70,158 and it closed out the year with a fund balance of $30,890.
Primary funding for the library system comes from the cities of Opelousas. Opelousas contributed $265,841 and Eunice paid $154,700 to the library.
The audit indicates the system paid $488,103 for executive and administration; $21,933 for books; and $3,029 for furniture and equipment.Executive and administration included salaries of $298,684 and payroll taxes and pension contributions totaling $53,943.
Three executive directors and their total salary payments were listed for the year. They were: Alicia Gie, two months, $10,735; Doris Lively, five months, $30,172; and Jackie Choate, one and half months, $9,473.
Auditors found the following:
— Inadequate segregation of accounting functions. The audit found that due to the size of the operation it may not be feasible to completely segregate functions.
— The library should follow the format required by the Louisiana Local Budget Act. The library plans to present a budget message present the budget in proper format.
When contacted about the audit, Fontenot said Eunice city officials have requested monthly reports from the library without success.
“...they seem not to care to give us one, which seems odd to me,” he said.
There are differences in the funding for the libraries, he said. The city of Eunice pays the utility bill for the Eunice facility out its general fund budget, he said. The Opelousas facility’s utility bills are paid through that city’s annual payment to the library.
“Just things like that,” Fontenot said. “I don’t think we are getting a fair deal. As a matter of fact this past Saturday I went by the Opelousas library and you could see there is just a huge difference as far as their building and their equipment compared to ours,” he said.
Eunice owns its library building, he said. And, when the air conditioning system failed recently the city of Eunice had to pay for the repairs, he said.
Fontenot said he is friends with Opelousas city officials, but sees the split as necessary.
“I would love to figure out what we have to do to make that split,” he said.
The linkage between the Opelousas and Eunice libraries may have worked in the 1960s, he said, but doesn’t now, he said.
“Hopefully, in the very near future it is going to be the Eunice Public Library,” he said.