Department of Administration
April 30, 2008
The Honorable, The Legislature:
This report is transmitted as required by s.
20.002(11)(f), Wisconsin Statutes, (for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s.
13.172(3), Wisconsin Statutes) and confirms that the Department of Administration has found it necessary to exercise the "temporary reallocation of balances" authority provided by this section in order to meet payment responsibilities and cover resulting negative cash balances during the month of March 2008.
On March 24, 2008, the General Fund cash balance closed at a negative $108.6 million. This negative balance continued through March 31, 2008, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $212.5 million (its intra-month low). The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On March 1, 2008, the Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund cash balance closed at a negative $2 thousand. This negative balance continued through March 31, 2008, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $2 thousand. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
On March 1, 2008, the
Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund cash balance closed at a negative $27.5 million. This negative balance continued through March 31, 2008, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $25.7 million.
The Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund cash balance reached its intra month low of a negative $27.9 million on March 13, 2008. The negative balance was due to the transfer of $71.5 million to the General Fund per
2007 Wisconsin Act 20, and the pending liquidation of fund securities necessary to offset this shortfall.
On March 24, 2008, the Lottery Fund cash balance closed at a negative $1.8 million. This negative balance continued through March 31, 2008, when the fund's cash balance closed at a negative $1.8 million. The Lottery Fund cash balance reached its intra-month low of a negative $3.1 million on March 27, 2008. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures
On March 1, 2008, the Conservation Fund cash balance closed at a negative $9.7 million. This negative balance continued through March 18, 2008, when the fund's cash balance closed at a positive $1.3 million. The Conservation Fund cash balance reached its intra-month low of a negative $17.9 million on March 14, 2008. The negative balance was due to the difference in the timing of revenues and expenditures.
The General Fund, Wisconsin Health Education Loan Repayment Fund, Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund, Lottery Fund, and Conservation Fund shortfalls were not in excess of the statutory interfund borrowing limitations and did not exceed the balances of the funds available for interfund borrowing.
The distribution of interest earnings to investment pool participants is based on the average daily balance in the pool and each fund's share. Therefore, the monthly calculation by the State Controller's Office will automatically reflect the use of these temporary reallocations of balance authority, and as a result, the funds requiring the use of the authority will effectively bear the interest cost.
Sincerely,
Michael L. Morgan
Secretary
Referred to joint committee on Finance.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
May 2008
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Last year, state agencies made strong progress toward the 5 percent minority contracting goal. This report provides information on Fiscal Year 2007 state purchasing made with minority business enterprises (MBE) certified by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. Our progress stems from your commitment to providing full and fair opportunities for all businesses, including MBEs, to compete for state contracts.
In Fiscal Year 2007, Wisconsin state government spent over $62 million with MBE firms for products, services, facilities and highways. This is the second highest amount spent with minority businesses since the MBE program began.
Fiscal Year 2007 MBE represents 4.02 percent of overall state spending. State agencies led the way with a 38 percent increase in total spending with certified minority firms. In addition, fourteen agencies surpassed the 5 percent MBE goal in Fiscal 2007, up from seven agencies in 2006.
Through your leadership, opening access to minority-owned businesses who are interested in doing business with the state will continue to be a major focus across state agencies.
Sincerely,
Michael L. Morgan
Secretary of Administration
Referred to committee on Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs.
__________________
S832
Milwaukee Public School
Division of Business Services
May 5, 2008
The Honorable, The Senate:
According to Wisconsin School Law 121.87 in accordance with 13.172, the Board is required by law to submit the enclosed reports. School Law 121.87 states ...annually by May 1 the board of school directors of the school district operating under ch.
119 shall submit a report to the legislature under s.
13.172 (2) that specifies the number, percentage, race, sex, grade and attendance area of pupils transferred outside their attendance area without written consent under s.
121.85 (6)(am)."
Enclosed you will find a report that meet the requirements stated above. The total number of intra-district students bused under the Chapter
220 designation for the school year 2007-2008 equals 15,817. Of that number 725 either did not return a consent form or checked box indicating no consent. Students who have moved during the school year and no longer require parental consent were subtracted from the non-returned figure. The district did meet the requirement of ninety-five percent (95%) parents providing consent.
Sincerely,
Michael Turza
Director of Business Services
Referred to committee on Education.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
May 14, 2008
The Honorable, The Legislature:
We have completed audit work at the Wisconsin Arts Board to help meet our audit requirements under s.
13.94, Wis. Stats. We have reviewed the Arts Board's fiscal operations to assess whether they are well-controlled and in compliance with statutory requirements. One of the Arts Board's major activities is to administer artistic and cultural grant and fellowship programs for cultural organizations and individual artists. It also administers the State's Percent for Art Program, which coordinates the acquisition of artwork for public state buildings with building projects exceeding $250,000.
The Arts Board is primarily funded by general purpose revenue. It also receives program revenue from the federal government, Indian gaming compacts, and funds from other state agencies. Grant expenditures represented 61.3 percent and the Percent for Art Program represented 15.6 percent of the Arts Board's total expenditures of $3.9 million during fiscal year 2006-07.
We identified several significant concerns with the Arts Board's fiscal controls. The major factor contributing to our concerns is that key fiscal responsibilities are primarily completed by one fiscal person with limited management oversight. The Arts Board has taken some steps to address our concerns, but we encourage it to implement all of the improvements we have recommended in a separate management letter.
The Arts Board is an active participant in Wisconsin's sister state relationship with Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The Board's Executive Director serves as the president of the nonprofit organization, Wisconsin-Chiba, Inc., which provides the primary financial support for the relationship. The Arts Board provides program and administrative support to the organization. Our management letter includes recommendations for formalizing the Arts Board's arrangement with Wisconsin-Chiba, Inc., in a written agreement and ensuring costs incurred for annual exchange trips are allowable and reasonable under state and federal requirements. The Arts Board has agreed to implement these recommendations.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by Arts Board staff during our review.
Sincerely,
janice Mueller
State Auditor
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction
May 16, 2008
The Honorable, The Senate:
The Department of Public Instruction is submitting the 2007 annual report on the status of bilingual-bicultural education programs as required under s.115.996, Wis. Stats. The report provides data from the state-aided bilingual-bicultural/ESL education programs for the 2007 fiscal year (July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007).
This annual report presents details on the state's administration and funding of bilingual education in Wisconsin, including the number of pupils from minority languages served, the locations of the state-aided programs, and staff-related data. In addition, the report comments on factors contributing to growth.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Burmaster
State Superintendent
__________________
Relating to hunting and trapping regulations and the use of department managed lands.
Submitted by Department of Natural Resources.
Report received from Agency, May 30, 2008.
Referred to committee on Environment and Natural Resources, June 2, 2008.
Relating to the implementation and administration of grants for endangered resources.
Submitted by Department of Natural Resources.
Report received from Agency, May 30, 2008.
Referred to committee on Environment and Natural Resources, June 2, 2008.
Relating to child care copayments and affecting small businesses.
Submitted by Department of Workforce Development .
Report received from Agency, May 29, 2008.
Referred to committee on Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Workforce Development, Technical Colleges and Consumer Protection, June 2, 2008.
