Instead of adding to the previous post (FSA Independent Audit), here is a separate post about the events that led up to the FSA boards requesting an audit in 2016.
These Central Mat-Su & West Lakes FSA meeting minutes from the fall of 2015 and early 2016 are truly astonishing.
According to these meeting minutes – Money was moved from FSA funds to general funds. The MSB finance Dept was not responsive to the FSA Boards’ requests for information and answers. Central MatSu and West Lakes FSAs had asked the Manager and Finance Director to attend one of their joint FSA board meetings for FIVE YEARS before they finally showed up. The MSB manager chose to increase the amount the MSB was deducting out of the FSA budgets for employee PERS from 22% (the State’s recommendation) to 44% without discussing this with the FSAs. Also, the MSB manager admitted that he “hid” the MSB first responders’ legal settlement amounts in the PERS section of the budget. Wut?! However, he wouldn’t do this again as it was not transparent. And the Manager didn’t really didn’t know much about the Pers case/legal settlement. Seriously? The MSB dealt with a big lawsuit that could have had major financial ramifications and the Manager wasn’t paying close attention to the details? The manager also mentioned that while the MSB staff doesn’t move money from one fund to another (the FSAs beg to differ), the Assembly can and does do this. “It has to happen at a public meeting BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE NOTICED.” (Dec 14, 2015 meeting p. 27.)
Kudos to the Central Matsu & West Lakes FSA Board secretary who drafted these detailed meeting minutes!
