MERCER COUNTY Officials: Budget audit is finished

A resident asked why the findings would not be public until after the election.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MERCER, Pa. -- Results of an audit of the Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission's travel budget will be released next month, county officials said.
They were tight-lipped at their meeting Thursday, however, about whether the audit has uncovered anything serious.
"There are some problems, but I can't comment on them," said Thomas Amundsen, county controller. The audit was sparked in June when Jim Campbell, a retired Navy careerist living in Transfer, questioned an advertisement for a car placed by BHC several months ago.
The ad requested bids for a Bonneville SE with a trade-in of a relatively new car -- a 2001 Ford Taurus with 42,000 miles. Required options included a CD player, adjustable electric seats and electric mirrors.
Commissioners had promised to look into the matter and, in July, Dana Frankenburg, BHC executive director, announced he would not buy the car, saying he was dissatisfied with the bid and the trade-in price.
Amundsen said Thursday that the advertisement demonstrated the need for an audit. He authorized his auditor to conduct one for the time period covering July 1, 2002, to June 30, 2003.
At the commissioners' meeting, Campbell questioned whether the audit report is being delayed to prevent its release before the Nov. 4 election.
Amundsen said the audit was only completed Monday, and that a required "exit conference" in which results were discussed with Frankenburg and Sheila Yatsko, BHC chief financial officer, was Tuesday.
The BHC will have time to prepare a response to the audit report. Amundsen said they agreed to provide it to him by Nov. 8.
Once their response is submitted, the audit and the response will be made public, Amundsen said. The report also will go the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare and to county commissioners to see if any further action is needed, he said.
"We are trying to be fair," he said, noting that releasing the audit report before the election also could be viewed as political.
The BHC receives about 10 percent of its budget from the county and the rest from the state and federal government. The county provides $345,000 for Mental Health/Mental Retardation and $75,000 for drug and alcohol programs, all of which are administered by BHC.
The state also conducts an audit of the BHC every year.
Security system questioned
Campbell also questioned BHC's purchase of a state-of-the-art security system, with an estimated cost of $40,000, and asked where the money is coming from.
Commissioner Olivia Lazor said that while she "doesn't believe in security systems personally," people that use the BHC "have and can become unruly." She said the system is designed to keep employees safe.
Commissioner Kenneth Seamans said there are "lots more unruly people" at the courthouse than at BHC offices, but no such security system has been installed.
He added the main reason that commissioners recently renegotiated their contract with BHC is, "We wanted more accountability, period."
Commissioner Gene Brenneman said he would like to appoint Campbell to the BHC board of directors. Brenneman admitted that commissioners were not aware of the problems with the car bid until Campbell brought it to their attention.
Campbell said he would be happy to serve, and commissioners said they will consider him for a recent opening on the Mental Health/Mental Retardation Advisory Board.