Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Parks Department Audit
By
Amy Quinton
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
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California lawmakers held an oversight hearing Tuesday on a state parks department audit. Both parks and finance administrators say they are working to solve the problems that led to a hidden surplus of tens of millions of dollars.
A state audit revealed last week that California finance officials first caught accounting problems at the Parks Department in 1999, but they weren't addressed until last year.
Lawmakers questioned Kevin Fugitani with the Department of Finance about why the legislature wasn't informed.
"We really didn't, weren't able to find any documentation as to what really occurred throughout those years. I really don't have any explanation for that other than the fact that we recognize that this is a significant weakness."
Fugitani told lawmakers that under a new policy department
heads must certify under penalty of perjury that accounting is
accurate and complete.
The new state Parks Director also told legislators that he's
working with the finance department to review accounting twice a
year.
He says he's committed to transparency.