Millville Fire Company’s Audit was released and then changed, why?

On May 10, 2016, Tom Wagner signed off and released the Millville Fire Company Audit and then on June 20, 2016, Tom Wagner revised and reposted the Millville Fire Company Audit. On June 23, 2016, resolution was introduced, by Rep. Danny Short, HCR 95 which passed the House on June 23, 2016. (It seems a bit odd to me that Tom Wagner changes the audit and then this resolution was introduced, all within three days of one another.) This resolution established a task force – below is a synopsis of the resolution.

Many of the Delaware Volunteer Fire Companies are for all intents and purposes self-policed as it pertains to the management of their company funds. As highlighted by the recent reports of embezzlement, the current system is vulnerable. This House Concurrent Resolution establishes a task force to examine what procedures are in place today, and to make recommendations for changes and reforms aimed at reducing the risk of embezzlement by persons in charge of these funds

Tom Wagner is a member of the Volunteer Fire Departments Financial Management Review Task Force. I do not disagree with the forming of the task force, what my issue is – here is another report that Tom Wagner has changed. Yesterday, I wrote about a petty cash investigation/audit report that had been started and a draft report was completed – Tom Wagner decided not to release the report. Now, we have the Millville Fire Company’s Audit being changed.

Below was taken from the website of the Auditor’s Office:

The Auditor of Accounts, an elected office, serves as the State of Delaware’s fiscal watchdog. As the independent auditor, the Office of Auditor of Accounts (AOA) is charged with responsibility for the State’s annual financial and federal single audits.

Who is the watchdog over the Auditor’s Office? I have tried going to Tom Wagner for answers but I just keep getting the run around.

Providence Creek Academy Charter School Investigated…Once Again Shows School Leaders Misused Thousand of Dollars in Tax Dollars!

Yesterday, the Auditor of Accounts released another report showing that school leaders at Providence Creek Academy Charter School in Clayton misused thousands of dollars in school funds. You can view the entire report below.

House Bill 186 would require all charter schools to go through the Auditor of Accounts for their audits, currently all public schools except for charter schools goes through the Auditor of Accounts. Sen. Sokola’s bill, Senate Bill 171, will still allow charter schools to select their own auditors. The issue is allowing charter schools to select their own auditors. Academy of Dover’s auditors audited Academy of Dover for three years. The reason why Academy of Dover was audited by the state someone phoned in an anonymous tip to the Auditor of Accounts hotline–the Auditor of Accounts opened an investigation. Because of the fraud and mismanagement of tax dollars now we are using additional tax dollars to investigate these schools not only through the Auditor of Accounts but also through the Attorney General’s Office.

I was in a meeting yesterday discussing both bills with Sen. Sokola and the Delaware Charter Schools Network. The Charter Schools Network reasoning for not supporting House Bill 186 is the original charter law allowed charters to have flexibility and to have extra freedom from state bureaucracy in exchange for tougher consequences for poor academic performance. Apparently, the current system is not working and we the taxpayers have seen over and over the cases of mismanagement to outright fraud involving our tax dollars. Charter Schools should have their audits performed under the Auditor of Accounts just like our public schools—charter schools are public schools funded by local school and state taxes.

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DE Online article: Audit finds Providence Creek school leaders misused funds