WARREN Fire chief calls audit inaccurate portrayal

A municipal court performance audit is favorable for the city.
By AMANDA C. DAVIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Fire Chief Jay Mulligan is unhappy with state auditors for what he says is an inaccurate portrayal of fire department operations.
The state released this morning the final draft of a performance audit commissioned by the financially strapped city.
Kim Norris, spokeswoman for the state auditor's office, said auditors stand behind their findings, which are intended to recommend improvements that can be made.
She said she believes the document contains information valuable for the city.
More stations needed: Suggestions for improvement of operations include opening two more fire stations, and possibly another station, as all but one are closed because of budget cuts.
Other recommendations include combining police and fire emergency dispatching services, expanding use of mutual aid, enforcing false alarm citations and implementing a 40-hour work week for inspectors.
Mulligan said this morning he had not seen a copy of the latest findings but that previous drafts were "fraught with errors" that discredit the city.
He said he wrote a several-page response to a previous draft and sent it by certified mail to state Auditor Jim Petro, who Mulligan said did not forward it to a senior deputy auditor in Cleveland who handled the department's audit.
He said auditors misunderstood some data, made unfair comparisons and lacked knowledge of fire service operations.
Closer look: Mayor Hank Angelo said there are a few recommendations that are questionable and deserve further discussion.
He said he doesn't look at the audit as negative and said he does not believe the recommendations discredit Mulligan, state auditors or city operations.
"I look at it as a working tool to help us improve," he added.
The city's goal is to get a proposed 0.5 percent income tax increase passed in May. Officials have vowed to allocate revenues from the additional tax to boost police and fire personnel.
A final draft of a performance audit for the municipal court was also released today.
Auditors found several commendable practices, including no need for further staff reductions in the clerk of court's operations.
The court is prioritizing collection of delinquent accounts, effectively using technology and issuing warrants that prevent renewal of vehicle registration until court fees are paid, the audit says.
Improvements suggested: Collections can be increased, however. The court should send cases to collection agencies after one year and designate an employee as a collection officer, findings say.
While the court has implemented an organizational structure, it is lacking a formal, written organization chart that clearly identifies the reporting structure; a comprehensive and detailed policy manual; and a up-to-date job description for each position, the audit says.
The court should consider hiring one person to monitor the fine and fee collection process, auditors say.
Although the court's internal controls appear to be adequate, there are some areas where internal controls can be improved, the report says. It states there are no controls to prevent unauthorized access to the cash drawers, to ensure that daily reconciliations are being performed or to minimize the access to cash or unused checks.
Judges Thomas Gysegem and Terry Ivanchak have said they are satisfied with the audit and plan to further review it to see where improvements can be made.
"This audit has confirmed in my mind that we're moving in the right direction even though we might have a few miles to go," Judge Gysegem said.
To view complete copies of the report, visit the state auditor's Web site at www.auditor.state.oh.us.