CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — After addressing a section dealing with their procedures for reimbursements, the Harrison County commission will send their response to the findings of a state audit.
“Based on my understanding of the commission’s motion, I’ll be drafting a letter to the Office of the State Auditor,” said County Administrator Willie Parker. “It will state that we will comply with the statute they referenced [state code 12-3-10] in the draft finding.”
The one –out of eight– findings the commission held off on approving response for dealt with how the county was approving reimbursements for expenses made on county business.
“Proper controls dictate that the County Commission should have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all expenditures made are for county business only,” the auditor wrote in a draft of their findings.
Three of the four incidents the audit criticized involved payments made to reimburse Commissioner Bernie Fazzini while on county-sponsored trips.
In one instance, he deducted funds spent on a family member from his claim so that the county would pay for only his meal, according to the audit.
He also provided a summary statement rather than an itemized receipts.
Parker explained the county has been more adamant about county representatives providing itemized receipts.
“In the past though, it’s been a practice here where credit card statements or a credit card slip has been submitted for some travel expense rather than an itemized receipt,” he said. “We’re no long accepting that.”
Another method of complying with the audit’s findings will be to utilize the county’s Principal Chief Administrative Assistant to help Parker look over the submissions for reimbursement.
He said while they are far from perfect, he believes this will keep a majority of the errors from reaching approval.
“Hopefully nothing will get through to the commission level where it would be processed for payment, we’re trying to get more eyes and more hands on everything.”
The findings involving Fazzini were not involved in the state Ethics complaint filed against him for similar situations [that was solved with a conciliation agreement] or in the indictment that charged him with four counts of fraud [that was recently dismissed.
Part of the delay in responding to the audit was in Commissioner Frank “Chunki” Angotti –who has been a staunch critic of Fazzini– questioning if the finding should be sent off to law enforcement.
Parker explained, as with any state audit, the findings will be sent to the state Attorney General and the county prosecutor.
“Any follow up action is at their discretion.”
When the response is sent to Charleston, the audit will become finalized and put into the state’s records.