Majority Leader
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
June 4, 1996
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed an audit of the Community Relations-Social Development Commission (SDC), as directed by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the former Chairman of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. For efficiency, we have coordinated our respective audit efforts and are issuing a joint report of our findings.
SDC was founded in the 1960's by Milwaukee County, the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Area Technical College, and the United Way of Greater Milwaukee. Its founders and 12 other groups appoint SDC's Board of Commissioners, which has oversight responsibility for the agency's staff, finances, and programs. In 1995, SDC spent $28.4 million in federal, state, and local funds to operate a variety of anti-poverty and social service programs.
Allegations of mismanagement and problems with agency governance have raised public concern and prompted SDC's founders to withhold over $650,000 in administrative and program support. Our audit found numerous examples of poor management, including instances in which established administrative policies were circumvented by staff. We also found that the Board has not always exercised sufficient staff, financial, and program oversight.
Recently, the Board and the agency's interim Executive Director have begun to take steps to address past management and governance problems at SDC, which include improved training for commissioners and improvements to SDC's fiscal accountability. Our report includes 40 recommendations that support those steps. In addition, it includes options for restructuring the Board, in the event the founding members and the Legislature believe changes to its size and the methods by which commissioners are appointed will increase accountability.
We appreciate the cooperation of the Board of Commissioners and SDC staff. A response from the interim Executive Director is attached.
Sincerely,
Dale Cattanach Jerome j. heer
State Auditor Director of Audits
State of Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources
May 30, 1996
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Pursuant to s.
30.2035 Wis. Stats., I am transmitting a copy of the department's two year study on shore protection and the agency's findings and recommendations from that study. If you would like additional copies please contact Ken Johnson of my staff at 266-8036.
Sincerely,
George E. Meyer
Secretary
State of Wisconsin
Department of Corrections
April 30, 1996
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Section
303.019, Wisconsin Statutes, directs that "the Department of Corrections and administration shall report on a quarterly basis, except for the last quarter in a fiscal year, to the Joint committee on Finance providing a cash balance summary for each prison industry and a projected fiscal year-end profit and loss statement for the prison industry program...".
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Attached are the "Projected Accrual Profit and Loss Statement" and "Year to Date Cash Balance Summary by Industry" for the period ending March 31, 1996.
Prison Industries had a cash deficit of $1.07 million through the third quarter ending March 31, 1996. Actual year-to-date expenditures were $10,955,600. These expenditures reflect approximately $685,000 in expenditures related to the previous fiscal year (FY 95) as directed by Joint Finance in an October 26, 1995 s.13.10 meeting.
Revenues for the same time period were $9,882,900. Prison Industries has adequate fixed assets, inventories and receivables to cover the overdraft.
The projected profit on the accrual basis for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1996 is $100,000.
Sincerely,
Michael J. SulLivan
Secretary
Department of Corrections
James R. Klauser
Secretary
Department of Administration
Referred to joint committee on Finance.
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
May 24, 1996
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Chapter 34, Laws of 1979, requires that when the Department of Administration maintains an office in Washington, D.C. for the purpose of promoting federal/state cooperation, it should submit a report detailing the activities of the office and reporting the status of federal legislation of concern to the Legislature and other state agencies (Wis. Stats. 16.548 (2)).
The report for the period January 1, 1996, through March 30, 1996, is attached.
Sincerely,
James R. Klauser
Secretary
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
May 29, 1996
To the Honorable, the Senate:
The following bill(s), originating in the Senate, have been approved, signed and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State:
Sincerely,
TOMMY G. THOMPSON
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
May 31, 1996
To the Honorable, the Senate:
The following bill(s), originating in the Senate, have been approved, signed and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State:
Sincerely,
TOMMY G. THOMPSON
Governor
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
June 4, 1996
To the Honorable, the Senate:
The following bill(s), originating in the Senate, have been approved, signed and deposited in the office of the Secretary of State:
Sincerely,
TOMMY G. THOMPSON
Governor
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Revisor of Statutes Bureau
June 1, 1996
To the Honorable, the Senate:
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The following rules have been published:
Sincerely,
GARY L. POULSON
Deputy Revisor
Relating to commercial feed.
Submitted by Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Report received from Agency, May 29, 1996.
Referred to committee on Transportation, Agriculture and Local Affairs, June 05, 1996
.
Relating to assisted living facilities.
Submitted by Department of Health and Social Services.
Report received from Agency, May 29, 1996.