Auditors: State DNR still lacks control on spending

[JohnWester]

more good news from the DNR building...

January 15, 2009

Government auditors said today that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources still doesn't have firm control over how it spends money, including fees from hunters and anglers that make up a large share of the agency's budget.

A report by the Legislative Auditor found that the DNR couldn't document whether it was properly spending revenues from the $95 million Game and Fish Fund, which is supposed to be dedicated to preserving and protecting wildlife and habitat. As a result, the DNR may have overspent on non-wildlife enforcement and still hasn't fully repaid the fund for the $300,000 spent on a 2007 game warden conference, the report said.

In a response letter, DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten said the agency has been revamping its management and financial systems over the past three years and has addressed most of the 17 audit concerns.

"We have restructured to increase accountability," Holsten said in his written response.

Among the other findings, and the agency's response:

• The department reimbursed the Game and Fish Fund for less than a third of the $300,000 spent on the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association's annual conference held in 2007. Auditors last year concluded the money was spent inappropriately, and two top officials lost their jobs over the event. The DNR said is still studying how much should be paid back to the fund from general revenues.

• DNR offices have not kept track of assets like laptop computers and global positioning devices to assure the agency still had them. The DNR said it has upgraded its database to fully track such items.

• Managers at DNR have not kept track of personal cell phone use, as required by state law. The DNR responded that it has developed a computer-based tracking system to assure that personal cell phone use is not paid out of state funds.

[kingfisher1]

how hard is it to control and document where your money is going?  the need ACCOUNTABILTY!

[sandmannd]

It's pretty sad. After they got busted over spending and people had to resign, you would think they would get it under control. But it's not just the DNR, the whole government on the city, state and national level has these problems and that's why we are where we are today.