Legislative Audit Bureau
June 5, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, we have completed an evaluation of expenditures made by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to support fish and wildlife activities. In fiscal year (FY) 2004-05, these expenditures totaled $120.2 million. Of this amount, $68.2 million was generated through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and other user fees. Fish and wildlife activities were also funded with federal aid, general purpose revenue, and program revenues.
For a number of years, some hunters and anglers have raised concerns about the extent to which the fees they pay are spent on activities related to hunting and fishing. We found that 97.6 percent of DNR's user fee?funded expenditures in FY 2004-05 provided some benefit to hunters and anglers, including 57.3 percent spent primarily for their benefit. User fees also funded $1.6 million in expenditures that did not directly benefit hunters and anglers.
In FY 2004-05, DNR spent $7.5 million in user fees for administrative costs at the department and division level. These costs represented 11.1 percent of all user fee expenditures, which is below the 16.0 percent limit established in statutes.
When we reviewed the financial condition of the Fish and Wildlife Account, we found that expenditures exceeded revenues in each year and the account's balance declined significantly, from $28.3 million in FY 2000-01 to $1.0 million in FY 2004-05. Fee increases that took effect in July 2005 will increase revenues, but preliminary information for FY 2005-06 indicates that sales of some types of licenses declined from 2004 to 2005. These trends will have to be monitored closely.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by staff of DNR and by the interest groups with which we spoke. DNR's response follows the appendices.
Sincerely,
JANICE MUELLER
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health of Family Services
June 5, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
The Department of Health and Family Services is submitting the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) Annual Report for 2004 to meet the requirements of Chapter 51.44 (5)(c), Wis. Stats. The statute requires that a report be submitted annually to the legislature about the Department's progress in implementing early intervention services in Wisconsin.
The report covers calendar year 2004 and includes information related to the Birth to 3 Program Outcomes that the Department has adopted and evaluates yearly. This report also includes the results of the progress in meeting the ICC recommendations from the 2003 Annual Report and provides subsequent recommendations from the ICC based these results. Department staff is directly involved with the ICC in creation of this report.
I believe this report exhibits the very positive outcomes produced by this program. Enrollment in this effective program continues to rise and parent satisfaction remains high. Parents report increased capacity to help their children develop and learn and to communicate their children's needs as a result of early intervention services.
Copies of the report for each legislator were sent in March. This letter serves as the required submission to meet the statutory requirements.
Sincerely,
HELENE NELSON
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
WHA Information Center
June 6, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
Enclosed is a hard copy of the fiscal year 2004 Uncompensated Health Care Report produced by WHA Information Center pursuant to s.
153.22, Wis. Stats. The report was posted on our Web site in March 2006. Please feel free to download and print additional copies.
If you have any questions regarding the report you may contact me at 608-274-1820, 800-231-8340 or
jkachelski@wha.org.
Sincerely,
JOSEPH KACHELSKI
Vice President
State of Wisconsin
WHA Information Center
June 6, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
Enclosed is a hard copy of the fiscal year 2004 Health Care Data Report produced by WHA Information Center pursuant to s.
153.22, Wis. Stats. The report was posted on our Web site in March 2006. Please feel free to download and print additional copies.
If you have any questions regarding the report you may contact me at 608-274-1820, 800-231-8340 or
jkachelski@wha.org.
Sincerely,
JOSEPH KACHELSKI
Vice President
State of Wisconsin
Department of Health of Family Services
June 12, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
On behalf of the Board of Governors of the Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan (HIRSP), I am pleased to submit the calendar year 2005 annual report. This submission is in accordance with the statutory requirements set forth at s.
149.15, Wisconsin Statutes.
The report includes:
• A summary of how HIRSP is funded, who is eligible, what services are covered and policyholder premium, deductible and coinsurance obligations.
• A historical overview and a summary of HIRSP-related legislative changes since 1997.
• Demographic information about HIRSP policyholders.
• An explanation of HIRSP's funding and financial information.
• Utilization and cost data, including summaries of HIRSP payments by diagnosis category and by therapeutic classes of prescription drugs.
The Department of Health and Family Services and the HIRSP Board appreciate the continuing support of the Legislature. Please contact me if I may provide additional information.
Sincerely,
MARK B. MOODY
State of Wisconsin
Ethics Board
June 13, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
The following lobbyists have been authorized to act on behalf of the organizations set opposite their names.
Mettner, Joseph AT&TWisconsin (formerly SBC)
For more detailed information about these lobbyists and organizations and a complete list of organizations and people authorized to lobby the 2005 session of the legislature, visit the Ethics Board's web site at
http://ethics.state.wi.us
Also available from the Wisconsin Ethics Board are reports identifying the amount and value of time state agencies have spent to affect legislative action and reports of expenditures for lobbying activities filed by organizations that employ lobbyists.
Sincerely,
R. Roth Judd
Executive Director
State of Wisconsin
Milwaukee Public Schools
June 13, 2006
The Honorable, The Senate:
Enclosed you will find a copy of the report entitled "High/Scope All-Day Five Year-Old Kindergarten Program and High/Scope First Grade Program." This report provides a summary of the project and the data collected for the 2004-2005 school year.
Each year a report is prepared in response to Sections
119.71,
119.73, and
119.75 of the current state statutes.
Sincerely,
MICHELLE J. NATE
Chief Financial and Operations Officer
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
June 16, 2006
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, we have completed an evaluation of the two applied technology centers constructed by Gateway Technical College: the Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation (CATI), and the Center for Bioscience and the Integration of Computer and Telecommunications Technology (BioCATT). These centers were constructed at a cost of $7.4 million. Construction funds were obtained from $5.0 million in bonds issued by Gateway, along with both cash and in-kind donations from area businesses.
Technical college construction projects of more than $1.0 million must typically be approved by referendum, but a statutory exception exists for technology centers. However, statutes require at least 30.0 percent of construction costs to be funded with private contributions. This statutory requirement was not met because the value of in-kind contributions has been less than initially projected, and private businesses provided $414,000 less than anticipated in cash donations.
Gateway's governing board chose to contract with two private, nonprofit corporations to manage daily operations of the two centers and provide other services. Contract agreements involving staffing, building maintenance and use, and programming are complex and have been amended frequently. Since the centers opened, Gateway has spent $2.3 million to support facility operations but has received operating revenues of only $106,800. The difference-$2.2 million-has been paid from Gateway funds. Gateway is also expected to incur $1.1 million in bond repayment costs through fiscal year 2005-06. The level of support provided suggests that Gateway should closely monitor the centers' ongoing operations to ensure costs are controlled and revenues maximized.
We reviewed detailed financial documentation and found no instances in which funds from Gateway or either of the nonprofit organizations were improperly paid to an employee of any other organization. However, we question Gateway's decision to enter into a contract with the private organization managing the BioCATT facility for use of four fiber-optic lines. One objective of the agreement was to reduce Gateway's telecommunications costs. However, this contract has not been cost-effective in the short-term. Future financial benefits will largely depend on the ability of BioCATT, Inc., to sell use of additional fiber optic lines.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by staff of Gateway Technical College, the Wisconsin Technical College System Board, and the nonprofit organizations associated with the applied technology centers.
Sincerely,
JANICE MUELLER
State Auditor
State of Wisconsin
