Police chief benefits among audit findings

MATTAWA — The Washington State Auditor’s Office audit of the City of Mattawa completed recently has very few negative findings, but it does bring questions to some transactions involving the police department.

The state’s auditors reviewed six credit card payments totaling $11,273. They were looking for validity of public purpose, adequate support and proper approval.

These questions involved police department finances, City Clerk Robin Newcomb said. The auditors did not find adequate support for $106 in credit card payments.

“The City paid approximately $127 in late payment and finance charges in 2014. By not paying timely, the City is incurring unnecessary expenses,” the audit report stated. “We noted significant improvement in this area in 2015.”

Although the audit was for 2014 and 2015, auditors also looked at transactions this year. They have the right audit to the current date, Newcomb said.

In the hiring of interim Police Chief Joe Harris, after the departure of John Turley in September, auditors reported, the City allowed Harris to receive benefits while the City’s personnel policies don’t allow benefits for temporary employees.

“The policy defines a temporary employee as those employees who hold jobs of limited duration arising out of special projects, abnormal workloads and emergencies,” The audit report said. “It appears that interim employees would fall under the definition of a temporary employee and should not receive benefits.”

The auditors recommended the City follow its policies when contracting with employees to ensure contract provisions agree with City policy.

Newcomb said the City Council could avoid this problem in the future by rewriting parts of the personnel policies. Harris was hired on Oct. 1.

The audit cost the city about $14,400. The next one will be conducted in October of 2018.