Way back at the December 7, 2004 City Commission meeting, the commission voted in favor of changes the fiscal department wanted to make in various financial policies and procedures.
One of the changes proposed was changing the $500.00 claim report (the consent agenda expenditure report) to $5,000. (This change meant that any payment under $5,000 would not have to be listed as a separate item). The reason given was that reporting claims of $500.00 and more was too labor intensive for the fiscal department.
The proposed change was approved and beginning with the March 1, 2005 City Commission meeting, the report went from being on the average of 6-8 pages down to 2-3 pages.
An interesting comment made in the staff report prepared for this change stated, "While City Commission approval is not required to update City of Great Falls Financial Policies and Procedures it is considered good policy to have City Commission approval on these updates".
According to Mary Jolley, who has been doing more than her share of reading on policy and procedure, ONLY the City Commission can adopt and change policy, not staff. But, according to the above statement from staff, evidently the fiscal department can do what they want, when they want, without approval.
Hmm. Makes one wonder how many other polices and procedures have been changed to accommodate the whims and desires of the fiscal service director.
Folks: There are NO checks and balances in the fiscal service department. Scary? You better believe it.
One of the changes proposed was changing the $500.00 claim report (the consent agenda expenditure report) to $5,000. (This change meant that any payment under $5,000 would not have to be listed as a separate item). The reason given was that reporting claims of $500.00 and more was too labor intensive for the fiscal department.
The proposed change was approved and beginning with the March 1, 2005 City Commission meeting, the report went from being on the average of 6-8 pages down to 2-3 pages.
An interesting comment made in the staff report prepared for this change stated, "While City Commission approval is not required to update City of Great Falls Financial Policies and Procedures it is considered good policy to have City Commission approval on these updates".
According to Mary Jolley, who has been doing more than her share of reading on policy and procedure, ONLY the City Commission can adopt and change policy, not staff. But, according to the above statement from staff, evidently the fiscal department can do what they want, when they want, without approval.
Hmm. Makes one wonder how many other polices and procedures have been changed to accommodate the whims and desires of the fiscal service director.
Folks: There are NO checks and balances in the fiscal service department. Scary? You better believe it.
No comments:
Post a Comment