Monday, July 6, 2009

Report: DSS missteps 'unacceptable'

A county panel has released its report on recent audits of the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services, which is under scrutiny for allegations of misspending.

"The audits of DSS indicate inconsistent and insufficient supervision of and use of internal controls, which is unacceptable and incongruent with expectations for appropriate fiscal management of public funds," the Audit Review Committee says in its summary of the June 24 meeting.

"At present, it is unclear why or how the lack of controls developed and how long they have existed. The Audit Review Committee is considering the feasibility of further investigations to answer these questions."

Click here to read the audit review committee report.

The committee is comprised of commissioners Dan Murrey and Bill James, community member Ward Simmons, County Manager Harry Jones and County General Manager John McGillicuddy.

The committee on Tuesday will give the full board of commissioners an update on DSS finances. That talk will happen during the board's regular meeting, which starts at 6 p.m.

Commissioners are also expected to talk in closed session with County Manager Harry Jones about staff's role in lapses in oversight at DSS.

Read the full story about a widening probe at the county's second-largest agency.

- April Bethea

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would encourage all citizens who are outraged by the DSS' lack oversight...or whatever you want to call it... to attend tomorrow's county commissioner's board meeting and speak your mind at the public forum. This is unacceptable and Harry Jones' job should be on the line.

Anonymous said...

I agree that Jones should go, but it won't happen. The democratic leadership on the Commission will protect his job to protect thiers. The only alternative is for the citizens of Charlotte to replace all democratic council members in next year's election. If they don't get rid of Jones, all incumbants need to go!

Anonymous said...

Yet nothing in there about how that unemployed attorney Harry hired from his church to run the place immediately spent $25,000.00re-decorating her office. Nothing in there about how she then hired fellow unemployed attorney, and fellow church member of hers and Jones, Samara Foxx at over $100,000.00 a year. Word on the street has it Wilson hired several more fellow unemployed members of hers and Jones' church at fat salaries. Where's the outrage over that? Where is it?

Jeyone said...

As proof by all of the anonymous posts on this website and other message boards, ignorance and racism towards african-americans, is alive and well in Charlotte-Mecklenburg in 2009. The hate and ignorance shown by some of you is overwhelming and disturbing. It is easy being anonymous.

Anonymous said...

This attack against DSS is racist and is instigated by the reporter at WCNC. That reporter hated the head of United Way and now he hates the head of DSS because both are black. If the heads of those agencies were, white, United Way would still have money and DSS would not be on the news daily. Hatemongers spend so much time on blacks on not enough time on real injustices.

Anonymous said...

Looks & sounds to me like the only ones who are claiming "racism" are black? LOOK AT THE ISSUES, $$$ is missing and the HEAD of this department should be held accountable and responsible!

Anonymous said...

"This attack against DSS is racist and is instigated by the reporter at WCNC. That reporter hated the head of United Way and now he hates the head of DSS because both are black. If the heads of those agencies were, white, United Way would still have money and DSS would not be on the news daily. Hatemongers spend so much time on blacks on not enough time on real injustices."

IS THAT YOU JESSE JACKSON OR MAYBE AL SHARPTON?
LIKE FRANK ZAPPA WOULD SAY " WHY DONT YOU GO PHUCK YOURSELF WITH A RUBBER HOSE"

WE KNOW WHO THE REAL RACISTS ARE AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN ... CHECK YO MIRROR ...

Anonymous said...

Facts?:

Harry Jones hires national recruiting firm to find new DSS director paying them 10's of thousands of your tax dollars.

Harry rejects candidates offered by said recruiting firm in favor of unemployed attorney and fellow church member, Mary Wilson.

Wilson takes charge of DSS and funnels $25,000.00 toward hers and Jones church, via a shell op organization, to "redecorate: her office.

Wilson then hires fellow unemployed attorney, and fellow member of hers and Jones' church, Samara Foxx (with no experience) to a six figure job as "assistant" director of DSS.

Samara Foxx and Harry Jones funnel additional funds to their church under the guise of "office re-decoration".

Wilson then hires several more unemployed members of hers and Jones' church (with no experience) to head other divisions of DSS.

Wilson then directs 10's of thousands more dollars towards hers and Jones' church under the guise of a "holiday celebration" for employees.

10's of thousands of dollars "missing" from DSS leaked to the press followed by feigned outrage from Wilson and Jones, who immediately set up a committee to explore the missing funds, headed by Jones, Wilson, and lackeys thereof.

Jones deflects growing interest in the above bny saying DSS errors happened prior to the appointment of unemployed attorney, and fellow church member, Mary Wilson, and says he takes full responsibility for DSS errors.

Report issued regarding DSS accounting errors, approved by the committe headed by Harry Jones and DSS director Mary Wilson, is "inconclusive" yet admits lax accounting.

Commissioner Cogdell has the stones to admit, in public, that something about this whole thing stinks.