Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Audit: County mismanaged housing program

Federal auditors have released a report detailing

Mecklenburg County's lax oversight of the Shelter Plus Care housing program.


The initiative was one of several programs previously managed by troubled nonprofit Mecklenburg Open Door, which until last October was one of the county’s largest mental health contractors.


Click here to read the report.

The Department of Housing & Urban Development said the county “mismanaged its program,” paying many expenses without adequate supporting documentation.

The county also housed mentally ill participants “in units that were not decent, safe and sanitary.”

“These deficiencies occurred because the County failed to develop and implement a system of internal controls.”

HUD said it will require the county to provide documentation showing that about $441,000 in expenses was eligible for reimbursement – or to repay that amount from non-Federal funds.

- Ames Alexander

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

How on God's green Earth does Harry Jones still have a job?

Anonymous said...

Shoot, people have been wondering that for a while. Good question. He's got a tough job, yes. But after getting his wrist slapped a before for the same thing, one would think that "appropriate oversight" might move up the priority ladder. Or, maybe not....

Cedar Posts said...

Uncle Harry is going nowhere. But just think if we gave the old goat the boot, we could fund a dozen teachers for the next 2 school years.

Anonymous said...

The BoCC will never have the courage to fire a black county manager so just forget about it.

Anonymous said...

if you dig deeper, you will find many of the people being paid were black.

wiley coyote said...

Ah... Jennifer Roberts' Greatest Hits...

DSS, ABC, DMH and now this.

You got what you voted for Mecklenburg County.

Anonymous said...

Just shows you how completely stupid our county board is....this is what you get with rigged districts. The truly ignorant lead.

Wouldn't be surprised to see ole Harry get another pay raise.

I would leave my real name but I know Harry tries to have those fired who disagree with him.

Remember when he had Betty Turner (now Betty Doster and working at UNCC) try to fire a a BofA employee who disagreed with him? According to her emails she took the bait and actually agreed.

Harry has no reason to fear, he is led by the truly ignorant.

Anonymous said...

Harry is the smartest guy in the class. He has the backing of the black community b/c of his skin tone, and no one in power would dare question his "ability" given the potential backlash.
Welcome to Detroit, southern style. Would the last taxpaye to leave please turn the lights out??

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe that Michelle Lancaster a former Secretary to the BOCC has not been fired. She is the person who is suppose to be overseeing these departments for Harry Jones and the BOCC.

Anonymous said...

I am curious why The Observer does not have 2 reporters and a blog dedicated to all things County Government as you do for CMS. Every move by CMS is carefully scrutinized and reported. (Heck, Fannie Flono has made it her mission to put her spin on every CMS policy initiative.) It appears to me that corruption, or at least ineptness, is much more rampant in county government than in the school system, and probably in the long run costs us money that could possibly be helping out the schools. Probably wouldn't hurt to put city government under such tight scrutiny also, perhaps starting with the housing authority.

Anonymous said...

And SC lawmakers want to know where black SC State U in Orangeburg hid our 50 million in tax bucks they gave them to build the James Clyburn building at the school too.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13907864

My Wacky Friends said...

Really worthwhile data, much thanks for the post.