Audit Reveals Backlog of Food Service Inspections, Possible Misuse of Funds

Sign up for the Sandy Springs Patch newsletter!

---

Sandy Springs, GA -- Fulton County District 2 Commissioner Bob Ellis is addressing the findings of an audit of the Fulton County Health Department he requested last year.

The request, which was made by Ellis on June 16, 2015, was designed to focus on internal controls, account of funds, cash management procedures, operations of the county’s environmental and food service inspections and the levying and collection of fines.

On Thursday, Ellis said the request for the audit “was prompted by my own personal experience in the quality of information that I received from the Department in response to specific inquiries that I had made relative to the levying and collection of fines as well as by information I received from a potential whistleblower.”

The audit was recently completed, and Ellis stated those results “revealed some very disturbing findings.”

Some of the more serious findings were:

• Potential misappropriation of county funds (which has been referred to the District Attorney’s Office)
• Intentional destruction of financial records;
• Lack of cash management procedures in the Environmental Health Division;
• Ineffective process for billing and collections of Environmental Health fees;
• Noncompliance with food service rules and regulations;
• Failure to deposit checks in a timely manner; and
• Lack of separation of duties in the HHS Fiscal Services Division.

Since this audit was launched, a number of things have occurred across the county.

Along with a plan to centralize the finance functions across the county -- a move that was initiated last year, -- the Health Services Billing and Collection Unit was transferred to the Finance Department Treasury Unit where focus is being given toward implementing proper procedures and internal controls, Ellis stated.

Additionally, a new interim department head has been hired, and the county is in the process of hiring a new director for the county agency.

Ellis also added his colleagues on the County Commission have appropriated more money to the Environmental Health Division for staffing and equipment to address a backlog of overdue inspections.

As a result, that backlog has been significantly reduced.

“The services that the county Health Department provides are vital to our citizens,” he added. “The findings of this audit represent a breach of public trust. With recently implemented changes as well as future changes, it is my hope that this department will be operated in a way that restores that public trust. If individuals are found to have violated the law, they should be held accountable.”

---

Image via Fulton County