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LOCAL
THURSDAY, JULY 12 -18, 2018 • Page 8
Bid process audit highlights errors
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
Some DeKalb County
residents expressed frustration
after a June audit report of the
county’s low-bid procurement
process highlighted inadequate
or incomplete invitations to
bid (ITB).
According to the audit,
an ITB must follow seven
steps: request for goods
and service; pre-solicitation
meeting/solicitation finalized;
advertise invitation to bid; bid
submission and opening; bid
evaluation; award notice; and
notice to proceed.
The audit reviewed 22 ITBs
from 2015 to March 2017 and
found 19 ITBs, or 86 percent,
lacked documented evidence
to support DeKalb County’s
initial request for goods and/
or services. The total contract
value for the 19 contracts is
$195.5 million.
The audit also determined
21 of the 22 ITBs had
insufficient evidence to
determine whether a vendor
would be a responsible and
responsive bidder.
In an interview with The
Champion Newspaper, John
Greene—chief audit executive
for the office of Independent
Internal Audit—said he’s
pleased with the work his
department is doing.
“I still feel that we are
working hard to make a
difference in DeKalb County
with the audits that we have
issued,” Greene said. “During
our process of conducting
audits we try to add value with
the auditee, but at the end
of the day we have to report
what we found. The DeKalb
taxpayers are expecting us
to provide an independent
evaluation.”
According to the audit,
some bids did not have proper
documentation of being
advertised in The Champion—
DeKalb County’s legal organ.
The audit also stated the
county’s deficiencies in its
low-bid procurement process
could result in contractual
agreements with vendors that
are ineligible to participate in
assistance programs and hiring
vendors that may not possess
the skill sets to ensure good
faith performance.
“It is important for DeKalb
officials to take our findings
and recommendations
of our office seriously
As auditors, we can only
recommend improvements
or enhancements, but
management must implement
the recommendations,” Greene
said.
Greene began working
for DeKalb County in
September 2016 after state
lawmakers approved House
Bill 599. The bill is meant
to ensure independence
and objectivity and to help
ensure full transparency and
accountability to the public,
according to DeKalb County.
“I am pleased with the
job our office is doing, the
disclosures now being revealed
by the Office of Independent
Internal Audit (OILA)
regarding this audit and the
value added by identifying
operational issues and risks
that can now be mitigated,”
Greene said. “This would not
have been possible without
the establishment of the OIIA
as supported by the Audit
Oversight Committee.”
Auditors note growth in DeKalb
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
According to a recently
released independent audit
report, DeKalb County
appears to be in solid financial
standings.
The report, completed by
independent accounting firm
Mauldin and Jenkins, noted
DeKalb County increased
its general fund balance by
$7.7 million from the prior
fiscal year and increased
governmental funds by $20
million.
The audit of DeKalb
County’s Comprehensive
Annual Financial Report
(CAFR) was delivered on
time and without material
weaknesses for the first time in
six years, according to DeKalb
County officials.
“This report confirms
that DeKalb County has
strengthened accountability,
enhanced transparency
and restored fiscal integrity
to our government,” said
DeKalb County CEO
Michael Thurmond. “All
issues from previous audits
have been resolved and we’ve
implemented new procedures
to protect our financial
wellbeing.”
A DeKalb County official
said the current administration
is unsure why the previous
six CAFRs were late and had
material weaknesses.
Gena Major, chairperson
of the DeKalb County Audit
Oversight Committee, said
fiscal year 2017 was a pivotal
year because a new CEO and
the Office of Independent
Internal Audit were in place.
Major said this could have
contributed to the county being
able to submit the report on
time.
“Dianne McNabb, interim
chief financial officer, and her
team did an outstanding job by
preparing and submitting the
2017 financial report in a timely
and accurate manner,” said
Thurmond.
DeKalb County’s 2017
fiscal year ended on Dec. 31,
2017. According to the county,
two issues were resolved from
the 2016 fiscal year, including
remedying a $1.6 million cash
variance and settling more
than 600 outstanding employee
travel advances.
In 2017, DeKalb’s assessed
values of property reached an
all-time high. The assessed
value in fiscal year 2017 was
$28.3 billion, which surpassed
the previous countywide all-
time high of $27.9 billion in
fiscal year 2008.
In 2017, the audit
reported DeKalb’s Watershed
Department decreased in
revenue by approximately $13
million compared to the prior
fiscal year. Operating expenses
increased approximately $22.8
million over 2016 expenses.
The audit stated the decrease
in revenue is primarily a result
of lower water production and
usage. Operating expenses
increased approximately $23
million or 14 percent in 2017
due to an increase in salaries
and pension costs.
ST0NECREST Continued From Page 2A
the-city address last May, Mayor Jason Lary joked about the
misperception of changing the entire city name to Amazon.
“We will still remain the mighty Stonecrest,” Lary said. “But,
I was more than happy to stick 50,000 jobs up in this corridor
because I knew we have at least 25,000 of those folks who are
living right here in southeast DeKalb County”
Stonecrest also used geo-fencing through a Seattle-based
marketing firm to deliver a web-based, information video and a
site visit invitation directly to Amazon executives.
Amazon said it will invest approximately $5 billion into the
city it chooses for its second headquarters. The commerce trade
business also is expected to create an estimated 50,000 jobs.
Amazon expects to make a decision sometime this year.
CITY OF STONE MOUNTAIN
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
The City of Stone Mountain hereby gives notice that a
Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday, August 7, 2018
at 6:30pm to consider an Ordinance 2018-07 to Amend
Chapter 5, Building Regulations, Chapter 13 Motor
Vehicles and Traffic, and Appendix A - Zoning, primarily
to reinstate parking regulations omitted in the re-write of
Chapter 5.
The City of Stone Mountain hereby gives notice that a
Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday, August 7, 2018
at 6:30pm to consider a Conditional Use Application for
a micro-brewery at property location 5387 E. Mountain
Street, Stone Mountain, GA, parcel # 18 089 27 007.
Anyone wishing to attend the public hearing may do so
and be heard relative thereto. Please contact the City of
Stone Mountain Administration Office at 770-498-8984 for
further information.