A.G. Gancarski
Duval County Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan had a dilemma this past month: The city required an audit, but he didn’t think he had the time.
Carr Riggs Ingram, an accounting firm, has been contracted for an audit. In late February, one of the external auditors from this group contacted the Supervisor of Elections office with a seemingly simple request.
“I am currently working as one of the external auditors on the City of Jacksonville’s audit. I need to do some compliance work in accordance with the Florida Statutes, for the Supervisor of Elections. I was wondering if there would be some time that I could meet with you either tomorrow afternoon or Friday concerning the inquiry.”
Sounds easy enough? Not for the SOE, who blasted off an email to Sam Mousa, Jacksonville’s Chief Administrative Officer.
“Do you know anything about this? We start early voting in 5 days. I do not have any time to deal with an audit. Nor does my staff. Not real fond of the lead time for the meeting request either,” Hogan, who has so much staff that he has an active State House candidate working as a greeter at the main office of the SOE, wrote.
One would think that Dick Kravitz, who previously was in the state House and City Council president, could probably take time away from greeting SOE office visitors. But that’s not the thinking of the Supervisor of Elections, apparently.
Mousa wrote back, quickly, clarifying that in fact the law requires compliance with an audit.
“Yes, these are the City’s external auditors who conduct a yearly audit of the prior fiscal year closing,” Mousa wrote. “They too, are required to have their audit completed by a certain time. They have been visiting various city departments since late last year, early this year. You/your staff will need to meet with them – I suggest you have Robert contact them and see if there is a convenient time for both entities to meet. They do have to meet with your folks and maybe even you. We have no choice; audit required by law.”
A happy ending occurred: The SOE’s office did, somehow, find the manpower and the time to comply.
