Hospital District Vouchers Available
Modoc Medical Center CEO Monica Derner has announced that vouchers valued at $150 for medical treatment are now available. Modoc County Hospital District property owners who have paid their first tax installment can pick up their vouchers at the Hospital District office, which is located near the MMC business office.
“Please bring your property tax bill or parcel number,” said volunteer Lau Miller, who is currently serving as the district coordinator.
The vouchers, which were an incentive to voters when the hospital district was voted on, are good for the period Aug. 31, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2011. Miller also said the vouchers are transferable to family members. The district office is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Audits Released:
County Lax In Bookkeeping
Editor’s Note: The following article is our first report on the release of the outside audits of Modoc County’s financial records. In the days ahead and most probably weeks to come, we will be running further, more in-depth, articles on this subject.
The along-awaited audits ordered by the state controller’s office more than a year ago were handed over yesterday, Jan. 11, to the Modoc County Board of Supervisors and as expected contained few surprises.
Because of the county’s severity of deficiencies in its financial accounting systems Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co. of Rancho Cucamonga (VTD) opted for detailed comments throughout its report rather than the typical management cover letter, according to Auditor Darcy Locken.
In what could be a summation of the audits’ finding, VDT wrote at one stage in its report:
“The county does not have formal written policies and procedures but are passed down verbally from employee to employee in such key areas as cash receipting, disbursements, payroll, human resources, budget, information technology, capital assets, federal and state grant reporting and financial reporting.”
Explaining why, VDT said, “the county has not reviewed and/or documented in writing several of the key business processes. In addition, the county has not provided cross training for some of these areas.”
At every turn of the audits’ pages, it is noted that the county failed to understand prudent financial reporting and generally accepted accounting principles.
During her presentation to the board, Locken candidly agreed with VDT’s findings.
“We can barely provide them with financials that make any sense,” she told the board, adding “and we won’t be able to for many years and not during my term.”
At the end of 2009 the State Controller’s Office (SCO) ordered the county to have an outside audit of its 2007-08 and 2008-09 fiscal years after the SCO made its own investigation following the disclosure that an estimated $20 million had been misappropriated from the county’s treasury.
At that time the SCO also mandated the county repay the balance estimated at nearly $15 million due the treasury as soon as possible. Those funds have yet to be replaced in the treasury.
The audits do not make a determination of how much money in the treasury belonged to the road department, one of the “depositors” whose funds were misappropriated, because of the county’s concern for potential litigation, Locken explained in answer to a question from the audience.
VDT is expected to be at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Board of supervisors to give a more detailed explanation of its audits and findings, according to Locken.
A copy of the audits is available at the Modoc County Library in Alturas. Anyone wishing to purchase a copy can do so at 10 cents a page by placing an order with Locken, who can also supply copies electronically. Call Locken’s office at 233-6204 to make arrangements.
County Lax In Bookkeeping
Editor’s Note: The following article is our first report on the release of the outside audits of Modoc County’s financial records. In the days ahead and most probably weeks to come, we will be running further, more in-depth, articles on this subject.
The along-awaited audits ordered by the state controller’s office more than a year ago were handed over yesterday, Jan. 11, to the Modoc County Board of Supervisors and as expected contained few surprises.
Because of the county’s severity of deficiencies in its financial accounting systems Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co. of Rancho Cucamonga (VTD) opted for detailed comments throughout its report rather than the typical management cover letter, according to Auditor Darcy Locken.
In what could be a summation of the audits’ finding, VDT wrote at one stage in its report:
“The county does not have formal written policies and procedures but are passed down verbally from employee to employee in such key areas as cash receipting, disbursements, payroll, human resources, budget, information technology, capital assets, federal and state grant reporting and financial reporting.”
Explaining why, VDT said, “the county has not reviewed and/or documented in writing several of the key business processes. In addition, the county has not provided cross training for some of these areas.”
At every turn of the audits’ pages, it is noted that the county failed to understand prudent financial reporting and generally accepted accounting principles.
During her presentation to the board, Locken candidly agreed with VDT’s findings.
“We can barely provide them with financials that make any sense,” she told the board, adding “and we won’t be able to for many years and not during my term.”
At the end of 2009 the State Controller’s Office (SCO) ordered the county to have an outside audit of its 2007-08 and 2008-09 fiscal years after the SCO made its own investigation following the disclosure that an estimated $20 million had been misappropriated from the county’s treasury.
At that time the SCO also mandated the county repay the balance estimated at nearly $15 million due the treasury as soon as possible. Those funds have yet to be replaced in the treasury.
The audits do not make a determination of how much money in the treasury belonged to the road department, one of the “depositors” whose funds were misappropriated, because of the county’s concern for potential litigation, Locken explained in answer to a question from the audience.
VDT is expected to be at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Board of supervisors to give a more detailed explanation of its audits and findings, according to Locken.
A copy of the audits is available at the Modoc County Library in Alturas. Anyone wishing to purchase a copy can do so at 10 cents a page by placing an order with Locken, who can also supply copies electronically. Call Locken’s office at 233-6204 to make arrangements.
Alturas resident Doug Knox (pictured right) heard the plea yesterday, Jan. 11, of Public Works Director Rick Hironymous and donated funds to keep the Surprise Valley airport open.
Hironymous had added an emergency item to the Board of Supervisor’s first meeting of 2011. Specifically it was a request for funds to repair the lights at the Cedarville airport runway.
Supervisor Patricia Cantrall told the board and audience that Mercy Air flights had not been able to land because the lights were not functioning, forcing transport of at least one patient by ambulance from Cedarville to Redding in a snow storm.
Hironymous said the lights had been fixed temporarily but it would take $2,500 to make them fully operational. He added that he had “zero dollars” to do the job.
Modoc County Auditor Darcy Locken said she would have to research where the money could be drawn from. Stephanie Northrup, clerk of the board, said she had paid less than anticipated to update the county code (codifying the ordinances) and offered excess funds in the amount of $1,000.
Knox, a citizen who has been involved in county politics, offered to donate the remaining $1,500. “I have friends over in Surprise Valley. I’ll give you the additional $1,500,” he said. Knox wrote a check and handed it to Hironymous to a round of applause.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Modoc County’s Ears Are Burning
Governor Jerry Brown presented his budget today, Monday, Jan. 10, in a press conference broadcast on local and national media outlets.
His proposed budget includes $12.5 billion in cuts in health and welfare, prisons and higher education. He also said he would like a voter-approved extension of temporary taxes for five years.
Following Brown’s speech a reporter posed this convoluted question, “People will be very unhappy with the cuts you propose. I’m curious if you think the message to those people is that it’s politically unfeasible or do you policy-wise disagree and say we have to cut spending?”
Brown’s answer was simple.
“How you see the world depends upon where you’re sitting. If you’re sitting in Modoc only 28 percent of you think I should be standing here. If you’re in Alameda County about 73 percent of you think I should be here.
“There are different views of the state needs. I want to get people out of their ideological positioning. As the chief executive officer I’m trying to form consensus in an open-handed, open-hearted way . . .I think there a significant number of people who have an open mind.”
To view the entire speech and press conference go to www.kcra.com
-- Barbara March
Governor Jerry Brown presented his budget today, Monday, Jan. 10, in a press conference broadcast on local and national media outlets.
His proposed budget includes $12.5 billion in cuts in health and welfare, prisons and higher education. He also said he would like a voter-approved extension of temporary taxes for five years.
Following Brown’s speech a reporter posed this convoluted question, “People will be very unhappy with the cuts you propose. I’m curious if you think the message to those people is that it’s politically unfeasible or do you policy-wise disagree and say we have to cut spending?”
Brown’s answer was simple.
“How you see the world depends upon where you’re sitting. If you’re sitting in Modoc only 28 percent of you think I should be standing here. If you’re in Alameda County about 73 percent of you think I should be here.
“There are different views of the state needs. I want to get people out of their ideological positioning. As the chief executive officer I’m trying to form consensus in an open-handed, open-hearted way . . .I think there a significant number of people who have an open mind.”
To view the entire speech and press conference go to www.kcra.com
-- Barbara March
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Commentary
Moral Rights Vs. The Law
Modoc-gate Enters Its Third Year
A change in the political tide is expected Tuesday, Jan. 11 at precisely 9 a.m. at the sheriff’s annex in Alturas when the revamped Modoc County Board of Supervisors convenes for the first time in 2011.
Just how dramatic the tidal change will be can only gauged by how the board chooses to deal with a number of items on its inaugural agenda -- and one in particular.
First is the election of the board chair and vice chair. Supervisor Shorty Crabtree has declined the post in the past, but his sense of fair play and potential backing by in-coming board members Geri Byrne and David Allan should make him the front contender.
Then there is the formal replacement of Modoc Medical Center CEO Monica Derner on the recently-formed hospital board, and the naming of her successor. This should clear up former supervisor Dan Macsay’s apparent unilateral intention of naming himself to that position.
Under normal circumstances those two appointments are typically routine, but they should not be underestimated. A new board chair and the supervisor who represents the county during the hospital’s transition to a separately-governed district will be pivotal in how the supervisors conduct their business and how efficiently the county relinquishes control over the hospital, respectively.
This is not to ignore the welcome news that the long-awaited state-ordered audits will be made public, but the formal receiving of those audits is just that -- more perfunctory than an indicator of policy on how the new board will conduct its business in the coming year.
The weather vane lies in three agenda items scheduled for closed session.
The first two are the job performance evaluations of CAO Rick Rudometkin and his assistant Pam Randall, both appointed under contentious circumstances by a board that no longer exists. The third is the board’s first look at a potential claim against the infamous performance of various county officials allegedly associated with the misappropriation of an estimated $20 million from the treasury.
The board’s handling of the performance bond claim is potentially the true indicator of Modoc County’s political tidal change.
John Kenny, contracted county counsel, is using the Brown Act as his reasoning for discussing in closed session what he has couched as “threatened or anticipated litigation.” He sees no reason to publicly air details of the most scandalous fiscal crisis to ever strike Modoc County.
Others, close observers of county government, disagree. They argue there are no legal justifications for the board to meet on this matter in secrecy and that Kenny does not meet the Brown Act test.
Kenny also has indicated he does not intend to recommend to anyone named in the claim that they should recuse themselves from participating in the closed meeting. He told the Modoc County Daily News Blog that the claim is only a “history” of the misappropriation.
However, former DA Gary Woolverton, who wrote the claim, told us it actually “names names.”
Even if the performance bond claim meets the test of the Brown Act and can be legally discussed in private, is that morally the right thing to do?
Would open discussion in any way jeopardize Kenny’s assertion of “threatened or anticipated litigation?”
That is the basic question confronting the new board members. As Modoc -gate enters its third year there are others on the board who rarely if ever give thought to the moral issues involved in conducting the public’s business in public.
What the board decides to do, and what the new supervisors have to say about this particular issue will set the tone for Modoc County’s political future.
-- Ray A. March
Moral Rights Vs. The Law
Modoc-gate Enters Its Third Year
A change in the political tide is expected Tuesday, Jan. 11 at precisely 9 a.m. at the sheriff’s annex in Alturas when the revamped Modoc County Board of Supervisors convenes for the first time in 2011.
Just how dramatic the tidal change will be can only gauged by how the board chooses to deal with a number of items on its inaugural agenda -- and one in particular.
First is the election of the board chair and vice chair. Supervisor Shorty Crabtree has declined the post in the past, but his sense of fair play and potential backing by in-coming board members Geri Byrne and David Allan should make him the front contender.
Then there is the formal replacement of Modoc Medical Center CEO Monica Derner on the recently-formed hospital board, and the naming of her successor. This should clear up former supervisor Dan Macsay’s apparent unilateral intention of naming himself to that position.
Under normal circumstances those two appointments are typically routine, but they should not be underestimated. A new board chair and the supervisor who represents the county during the hospital’s transition to a separately-governed district will be pivotal in how the supervisors conduct their business and how efficiently the county relinquishes control over the hospital, respectively.
This is not to ignore the welcome news that the long-awaited state-ordered audits will be made public, but the formal receiving of those audits is just that -- more perfunctory than an indicator of policy on how the new board will conduct its business in the coming year.
The weather vane lies in three agenda items scheduled for closed session.
The first two are the job performance evaluations of CAO Rick Rudometkin and his assistant Pam Randall, both appointed under contentious circumstances by a board that no longer exists. The third is the board’s first look at a potential claim against the infamous performance of various county officials allegedly associated with the misappropriation of an estimated $20 million from the treasury.
The board’s handling of the performance bond claim is potentially the true indicator of Modoc County’s political tidal change.
John Kenny, contracted county counsel, is using the Brown Act as his reasoning for discussing in closed session what he has couched as “threatened or anticipated litigation.” He sees no reason to publicly air details of the most scandalous fiscal crisis to ever strike Modoc County.
Others, close observers of county government, disagree. They argue there are no legal justifications for the board to meet on this matter in secrecy and that Kenny does not meet the Brown Act test.
Kenny also has indicated he does not intend to recommend to anyone named in the claim that they should recuse themselves from participating in the closed meeting. He told the Modoc County Daily News Blog that the claim is only a “history” of the misappropriation.
However, former DA Gary Woolverton, who wrote the claim, told us it actually “names names.”
Even if the performance bond claim meets the test of the Brown Act and can be legally discussed in private, is that morally the right thing to do?
Would open discussion in any way jeopardize Kenny’s assertion of “threatened or anticipated litigation?”
That is the basic question confronting the new board members. As Modoc -gate enters its third year there are others on the board who rarely if ever give thought to the moral issues involved in conducting the public’s business in public.
What the board decides to do, and what the new supervisors have to say about this particular issue will set the tone for Modoc County’s political future.
-- Ray A. March
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