How well is your ANC doing? Read the DC Auditor reports.
Knowledge is power and The Advoc8te recommends that everyone take a peek at the audit reports for their Advisory Neighborhood Commission. Audit reports are posted on the DC Auditor website, http://www.dcauditor.org/. If you don't know what ANC or ANC Single Member District you live in go HERE. Once you are on the page click the "Where you live" icon, input your home address, click "Make Report" and then on the next page and under "Administrative" you will find your ANC and ANC Single Member District info.
Be forewarned, you will probably be shocked by some of these audit reports. The shenanigans involving some of these ANC funds and operations is enough to make you shake your head in disbelief. In some extreeme cases, we have embezzlement, mismanagement, and total waste of a lot of tax payer dollars. Funds that could have been used for positive things in the community. What is truly shocking is that even when it has been confirmed that ANC funds have been mismanaged or embezzled there really isn't anything anyone can do. The DC Auditor will just withhold the disallowed disbursement from the ANC's next allotment. At best the DC Auditor can make a recommendation (and they make a lot of them) but there is no enforcement to carry them out.
For example, lets say hypothetically ANC Commissioner X buys The Advoc8te a pair of diamond earrings for $5,000 with ANC funds. The DC Auditor finds out about it and basically their only recourse is to withhold $5,000 from the next ANC allotment. That means the community now missed out on the benefit of $10,000 ($5,000 for my earrings and $5,000 withheld by the auditor). The Auditor's office can't even make Commissioner X resign or make him pay back the money. The best they can do is refer the case to the Office of the Inspector general where it will most likely languish and die a slow death.
Scary isn't it?
Will be including some some links to some past River East ANC audits but you can also visit http://www.dcauditor.org/ to check them out yourself. Click the "reports" tab on the right sidebar and search by year. They are eye opening to say the least. The DC Auditor is supposed to audit ANCs every two years for compliance with the ANC law and financial guidelines. Copies of the audit are sent to all the elected ANC Commissioners.
To submit an article or to inquire about advertising options send an email to Advoc8te@congressheightsontherise.com
Be forewarned, you will probably be shocked by some of these audit reports. The shenanigans involving some of these ANC funds and operations is enough to make you shake your head in disbelief. In some extreeme cases, we have embezzlement, mismanagement, and total waste of a lot of tax payer dollars. Funds that could have been used for positive things in the community. What is truly shocking is that even when it has been confirmed that ANC funds have been mismanaged or embezzled there really isn't anything anyone can do. The DC Auditor will just withhold the disallowed disbursement from the ANC's next allotment. At best the DC Auditor can make a recommendation (and they make a lot of them) but there is no enforcement to carry them out.
For example, lets say hypothetically ANC Commissioner X buys The Advoc8te a pair of diamond earrings for $5,000 with ANC funds. The DC Auditor finds out about it and basically their only recourse is to withhold $5,000 from the next ANC allotment. That means the community now missed out on the benefit of $10,000 ($5,000 for my earrings and $5,000 withheld by the auditor). The Auditor's office can't even make Commissioner X resign or make him pay back the money. The best they can do is refer the case to the Office of the Inspector general where it will most likely languish and die a slow death.
Scary isn't it?
Will be including some some links to some past River East ANC audits but you can also visit http://www.dcauditor.org/ to check them out yourself. Click the "reports" tab on the right sidebar and search by year. They are eye opening to say the least. The DC Auditor is supposed to audit ANCs every two years for compliance with the ANC law and financial guidelines. Copies of the audit are sent to all the elected ANC Commissioners.
To submit an article or to inquire about advertising options send an email to Advoc8te@congressheightsontherise.com