I'm glad that County Auditor Tony Fabri is being proactive about things like this:
Champaign County Auditor Tony Fabri has issued a memorandum to all department heads in which he makes clear the county's Purchasing Policy (Ord. #323) makes no allowance for employee meals. The county's Travel Policy makes an exception to this rule, but only when county employees are traveling on business.
Of course, he's hoping that nobody ever asks him for oversight for the County Nursing Home construction project, or the County Courthouse construction, or the County staff's difficulty in compying with FOIA, or the County's technology plan, or the minority contracting plan.
But I'm glad we're being clear about the lunches.
Of course, he's hoping that nobody ever asks him for financial oversight or reporting of the County Nursing Home construction project, or the County Courthouse construction, or the County staff's difficulty in compying with FOIA, or the County's technology plan, or the minority contracting plan.
Weren't a number of the things you mention problems long before Fabri took office?
"Weren't a number of the things you mention problems long before Fabri took office?"
Certainly. And some of them were issues on which Fabri voted when a Board member. But does that mean no oversight or hindsight is necessary or would be constructive?
When is the appropriate to go back, look at, for example, the Courthouse project, examine what went right and what went wrong, and make recommendations about what the County learn from the process?
The County has spent thousands of dollars on consultants who recommended plans for technology and diversity in minority contracting. Yet very little has been implemented in those areas. Did the County get its money's worth? Were the recommendations sound? Should the County re-visit the plans?
The Auditor's webpage states: "The Auditor is elected by the voters and functions as an independent watchdog for taxpayers." Why does watching over lunch tabs deserve a press release, but a nobody ever asks for a comprehensive look at multi-million dollar construction projects?
You're making it sound as if there is the same amount of effort being spent on the two, which I doubt is the case. The total amount of oversight here -- for a policy that is being violated -- was a reminder memo to department heads. It sounds to me like this was a response proportional to the magnitude of the expense.
"You're making it sound as if there is the same amount of effort being spent on the two, which I doubt is the case. The total amount of oversight here -- for a policy that is being violated -- was a reminder memo to department heads. It sounds to me like this was a response proportional to the magnitude of the expense."
Since the Auditor determined the no-more-free-lunches policy was worthy of a press release, it sounds like there was some thought into how important it was.
And I've seen no press releases about ongoing oversight or after-action examinations of any of the other issues, which I would think would perhaps also merit a release.
Is it possible that the lunch policy has gotten more effort than any Auditor's oversight of, say, CCNH? Because we've heard a lot more from the Auditor about the former than the latter.
I'd bet the PR and the memo was directly in response to the CUPHD problems (coffee and lunch on the district credit card, etc.). It's release likely has nothing to do with however much time (a little or a lot) Fabri is spending on larger issues.
"I'd bet the PR and the memo was directly in response to the CUPHD problems (coffee and lunch on the district credit card, etc.)."
Good point.
"It's release likely has nothing to do with however much time (a little or a lot) Fabri is spending on larger issues."
My fear is that nobody is doing real oversight on any of the things that I mentioned. If they are, they're not letting anybody, on the County Board or otherwise, know about it.
And certainly nobody is talking about going back and looking at those projects in hindsight in a systematic way, to see what we might learn from them.
Which is why I think the release on lunches, while in and of itself a good thing, is a silly reason for a release. There are much, much bigger issues that need some scrutiny so that the people in charge of our County can learn from experience.
Fabri has taken quite a step forward, he now realizes there are policies to enforce. If I remember correctly Fabri was one of a handful of elected officials who tried to benefit from the infamous County surplus auction and when the public was outraged, he wrote a letter to the editor trying to blame Republicans for his profiteering.
Does this means VOLK can't fly to TAMPA for lunch again?
"Does this means VOLK can't fly to TAMPA for lunch again?"
Bill Volk doesn't work for the County, he works for the CUMTD. And lunches while traveling for business are expressly reimbursable under this policy.
This really isnt't the Auditor being proactive due to the CUPHD situation. According to County Board member Mike Richards, whom I saw at a County Facilities meeting tonight, this memo/press releaase was in direct response to persons at the Champaign County Nursing Home buying lunches on the County's dime. He hinted that this would be discussed at the August 23 County Board meeting.
Will they be made to pay back the cost of those lunches? It's wishful thinking, I know, but I'd prefer when people waste taxpayer money on things they have no business wasting it on, that they have to reimburse the gov't and taxpayers for the tab. (i.e. The UI Board's Chartered flights, etc)
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j
Part-Time Pundit
I heard Fabri on one of the radio stations (don't remember which one) saying that his memo was in response to an incident where County employees tried to bill the County for lunches. From what he said on the radio, those employees did have to repay the County.