From Miami Today:
"In the midst of a third federal audit in four months, MiamiDade Transit has issued its first audit response highlighting improved procedures and findings, which includes $4,500 to be refunded to the federal government.
"The audits come after the federal administration, following an Aug. 30 transit oversight visit, placed the department on grant retrieval restriction Sept.14 for funds awarded for preventative maintenance - any work to keep vehicles in working condition.
"By November, actions were expanded, barring Miami-Dade Transit from any online drawdowns of federal grant money - estimated at about $182 million - and suspending all reimbursements.
"A financial management overview was the department's initial audit that began at the end of September. The county, Ms.Llort has said, had reasons to believe transit officials didn't handle this audit properly as they didn't show auditors some county controls and financial reports."
A $4,500 refund among millions in unaccounted for tax money is not bad. Telling the Federal government that they missed all of your accountability and control measures is not bad either.
Typical response from the Burgess bureaucratic machine: we're right, you're wrong.
Then again, if so many accountability and fiscal control measures were in place, how could the Federal government auditors possibly have missed them all? Are these the same measures that are in place for Jackson, the Housing Agency, Water and Sewer, and so forth?
Miami-Dade County taxpayers need to start demanding real accountability as to how our tax dollars are being spent, and it starts at the top, with George Burgess himself. Stop making excuses and start earning your lavish salary Mr. Burgess.
