Legislative audit excerpts

Recent legislative auditor reports include:

Opelousas-Eunice Library
The Opelousas-Eunice Library general expenses exceeded revenue by about $16,300 in the year ending Dec. 31, 2013, according to an audit report, bringing the general fund balance at year’s end to $97,300.
On the special revenue-spending side, fines and fees brought in $14,365.
Total revenues were $492,180 and total expenses were $494,221. Overall fund balance at year’s end was $119,180.
The City of Opelousas contributed $261,523 to the library; the City of Eunice contributed $154,700. There is no dedicated public tax for the library.
On the expense side, salaries accounted for $266,878, with payroll taxes and pension contributions taking another $44,206. The expense for book purchases was $59,751.
Auditors, as they have in the past, again suggest a segregation of accounting functions within the library employees. The library’s board has in the past said the size of the operation and the cost-benefit of additional personnel make that unfeasible.

Acadia Library
The Acadia Parish Library had revenues of $1.7 million and expenses of $1.3 million in the year ending Dec. 31, auditors reported.
A dedicated property tax yielded $1.6 million.
The system’s fund balance at year’s end rose to $2.65 million.
Salaries and wages took $607,000, taxes, retirement and pension costs took another $150,000. Group insurance costs were $185,000 and book costs were $77,800.
Auditors had no compliance findings or issues to report.

St. Landry Crime Stoppers
St. Landry Crime Stoppers had revenue of $69,738 in the year ending Dec. 31, 2013 and expenses of $49,099. It’s year-end asset balance increased to $97,220.
The bulk of the revenue was from Intergovernmental Act 50.
Crime Stoppers paid $2,950 in rewards for tips (information about crimes). The annual banquet cost $9,815 and advertising expenses totaled $9,790. About $5,600 was classified as convention expense and another $5,200 was spent for online service.
The report is a compiled revenue-expense report, not an audit due, the accountants note, to omission of most disclosures ordinarily included in financial statements .

Evangeline Tourism
The Evangeline Parish Tourist Commission received $60,000 in the year ending Dec. 31 and spent $58,800. Its fund balance at year’s end increased to $37,144.
A hotel/motel sales tax accounted for $30,500 in revenue and state grants provided another $25,000.
Grant expenses of $27,000 were the large spending item, with salary reimbursement next at $10,800. $4,000 was festival expense.
Auditors noted the commission did not amend its budget when actual spending expended project costs by five percent or more. The commission told auditors that would be done in any future occurrence.

Evangeline Coroner
The Evangeline Parish Coroner ‘s Office had revenue of $99,000 in Fiscal 2013 and expenses of $96,511 and entered 2014 with a fund balance of $78,38.
The Police Jury provided $60,600 in revenue.
Contract labor costs were $95,141.
There were no compliance findings noted.
Auditors noted that Dr. Charles Fontenot elected to omit substantially all of the disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles.
“If the omitted disclosures were included in the financial statements, they might influence the user’s conclusions about the Coroner’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Accordingly, the financial statements are not designed for those who are not informed about such matters,” the auditors noted.