Two days after Office of Emergency Management (OEM) director Ryan Rockabrand left the county to work for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), the Auditor-Controller’s Office publicized its months-long study detailing numerous deficiencies with the department’s billing process. The internal audit was prompted by accusations from former employees; four of five experienced managers left the department in less than a year. Joe Guzzardi, one former employee, filed a fair-employment complaint last year, and in January the county settled with him for $134,000.
The audit found “small to medium inaccuracies” spanning across all of the programs, Auditor-Controller Robert Geis said. It was limited to records for reimbursement of federal and state grant monies, including the Homeland Security Grant Program, Emergency Management Performance Grant, Nuclear Power Plant Program, and oil and gas permits. Of the department’s $1.67 million, about $1 million derives from grants. (Theoretically, should the feds catch wind of billing inaccuracies, the county could be on the hook for the entire grant.)
Among many things, auditors found the following: An employee said he or she was instructed by management to code time to oil and gas programs — to the tune of about $5,000 — when that time should be covered by other funds. Auditors also found missing invoices for $23,587 in claims submitted to granting agencies. Auditors found an employee was asked to file reimbursement documents for employees who had already left the department.