Michael J. Sheridan
Assembly Speaker
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Referral of Agency Reports
Southeast Wisconsin Professional
Baseball Park District
Milwaukee
June 15, 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, I would like to inform you that the following documents are now available on our website at vnv.millerparkdistrict.com:
• Financial Statements - Independent Auditor's Report for Year Ended December 31, 2009 (approved at the meeting of the Board of Directors on June 8, 2010)
• Sales Tax Sunset Date Projection (accepted and placed on file at the meeting of the Board of Directors on March 9, 2010)
In summary, if the current declining growth rate in sales tax revenues should continue, the District will not collect more taxpayer money - it may simply take longer to collect the same amount of money. The good news is the District will continue to pay off the Miller Park debt well before the full term of the original bond payments (30 years), but due to the declining sales tax receipts, it will take longer than originally projected.
Please visit our website to review the reports for additional information or background. Also, please feel free to contact me if you should have any questions or should you desire more information. Thank you for your continued cooperation and assistance.
Sincerely,
Michael R. Duckett, P.E., R.I.S.
Executive Director
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Children and Families
Madison
June 16, 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
Enclosed is a copy of the Child Abuse and Neglect Report, 2008 Data, pursuant to s.
48.981. The report includes a statistical analysis of suspected child abuse and neglect reports received and investigated by county child protective services (CPS) agencies and the state Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare in calendar year 2008. The report also contains information on child fatalities due to child abuse or neglect and data regarding children who are identified as victims of abusive head trauma.
Sincerely,
Reggie Bicha
Secretary
Referred to committee on Children and Families.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Health Services
Madison
June 18, 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
I am pleased to submit to the Legislature the enclosed report as required by Chapter
153, Wisconsin Statutes. s.
153.05 (2m)(b) directs the Department of Health Services to biennially review the performance of the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA), the entity under contract to produce the reports under s.
153.05 (2m), and to report to the Legislature on the timeliness and quality of the reports produced by the Wisconsin Hospital Association Information Center (WHAIC). The WHAIC produced all required reports.
Sincerely,
Karen E. Timberlake
Secretary
Referred to committee on Health and Healthcare Reform.
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Health Services
Madison
June 30, 2010
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
I am pleased to submit to the Legislature the enclosed report as required by Wisconsin Statute s.
252.01 (11). The report describes the success of the statewide immunization program and was prepared by the Wisconsin Immunization Program.
Sincerely,
Karen E. Timberlake
Secretary
Referred to committee on Health and Healthcare Reform.
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Agency Reports
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
June 23, 2010
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
A994
As required by s.
13.94 (1)(dm), Wis. Stats., we have completed our annual financial audit of State Fair Park. We have issued an unqualified opinion on State Fair Park's fiscal year (FY) 2008-09 financial statements. In addition, we have continued to monitor its financial condition and efforts to improve its financial performance.
In FY 2008-09, State Fair Park's revenue exceeded expenditures by $828,000 on a cash basis. Primarily because of a successful 2008 Wisconsin State Fair, State Fair Park was able to reduce its accumulated cash deficit to $7.8 million on June 30, 2009. However, operations of the Milwaukee Mile racetrack continue to be a challenge. State Fair Park has been unable to find an external promoter and has managed racetrack operations internally since July 2009. In addition, the State of Wisconsin purchased the Wisconsin Exposition Center building in December 2009 for $13.9 million, and State Fair Park now has the added responsibility of managing that facility.
As part of this year's audit, we reviewed the use of in-kind support, such as equipment or advertising, that State Fair Park solicits from businesses in exchange for tickets to the Wisconsin State Fair and advertising exposure on the fairgrounds. In-kind support allows State Fair Park to meet its operational needs and increase its advertising without a cash outlay and is therefore an important component of cost-effective operations. However, State Fair Park does not effectively monitor and report this activity, which increases the risk of inappropriate use. We have reported this issue as a material weakness in internal controls, along with certain other issues that are discussed in the Report on Control and Compliance included in this report.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by staff of State Fair Park. A response from State Fair Park's Executive Director follows the appendices.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
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State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
June 24, 2010
To the Honorable, the Assembly:
The Legislative Audit Bureau has operated its Fraud, Waste, and Mismanagement Hotline since April 2008. The hotline was established by
2007 Wisconsin Act 126 so that the public, public employees, and contractors could easily and confidentially report suspected fraud, waste, mismanagement, and other improper activities within the scope of state government.
Hotline reports are received primarily through a toll-free telephone number (1-877-FRAUD-17), but also by mail and a secure Web-based form that was developed in 2009. We review each report to determine whether the allegation or concern can be addressed by staff in state agencies or in an independent review by Audit Bureau staff. Statutes require us to protect the identity of any individual making a report and all reported concerns are tracked.
Of the 79 hotline reports we received in 2009, 53 were specific to state programs. We resolved 16 of the reported concerns; 19 remain under review, and 18 could not be substantiated with available information or required no further action.
This letter highlights hotline activities in 2009 and summarizes outcomes and findings related to reports that illustrate the variety of issues addressed through our hotline work.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation of the various state agencies with whom we worked to resolve hotline reports or address common types of allegations.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
