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News & Features
From the Idyllwild Town Crier weekly newspaper, 09.25.08 edition.
IFPD can’t find audits
By J.P. Crumrine, News Editor
The Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD) cannot provide copies of
its audits for the past five fiscal years. Although Chief Steve Kunkle
says the audits for years 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and
2006-07 have been completed, none of the district officials has a copy
that can be reviewed or photocopied.
Since fiscal year 2007-08 just ended June 30, this audit was not part
of the request.
The Town Crier is one of several agencies that cannot obtain copies of
the audits. The Town Crier submitted a written request on July 31, Aug.
15 and Sept. 11 to IFPD. Under the authority of the California Public
Records Act, public agency material of this sort should be made
available within 10 days.
Community Service Area (CSA) 38 has requested copies to help with its
analysis of the current ambulance contract and prepare for new
negotiations. CSA 38 made its initial request on July 24.
An agency may reply with a letter explaining why more time is needed to
provide the material or suggest ways to make the request easier or
simpler to answer. IFPD has not explained why these audits are
unavailable for public review.
The third agency without the audits is the Riverside County Auditor who
is supposed to maintain a repository of special district audits.
According to Division Chief Russell Dominski, he only has the 2002
audit and none since then.
“They said they were working on them, but didn’t give a time frame,”
Dominski said.
Since IFPD has been unable to provide any of the material in eight
weeks, the Town Crier ran a test to determine if it is onerous and
difficult to comply with this request.
The Town Crier submitted an identical request, in writing, to each of
the Hill’s three water districts — Fern Valley, Idyllwild and
Pine Cove. The request asked to review or copy audits from the same
five fiscal years.
Two agencies had the reports available the same day. The third asked
this reporter to wait while the reports were collected. The next day,
an e-mail indicated that all five audits were available. So within two
days, 15 audits from three local special districts were available for
review and use.
A Sept. 11 letter to Commission President Glen McWilliams and his
colleagues has gone unanswered, too.
Two separate sections of California’s government code are involved.
Section 26909 requires special districts to submit annual audited
financial statements to the county auditor-controller.
In addition, Government Code Section 6253(d) prohibits the use of the
10-day period, or any provisions of the Public Records Act, “to delay
access for purposes of inspecting public records.”
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