State Auditor Hector Balderas is working to crack down on scofflaw cities and towns that haven't been audited in many years.
It's a good thing to go after, given that an audit is one way to ferret out wrongdoing and misspending -- and good government, as well. The bad news for Balderas is that he's really got no way to make the agencies do an audit. Nothing in state law allows him to impose fines, he said, or for the Legislature to withhold funding to an agency that doesn't do the audit. If I had to guess, I'd say that might change in the coming years.
One commenter who read my story this morning asked to see the list of agencies that haven't done audits in several years AND haven't responded to Balderas' office as to why not. Here are the agencies who have done neither. The list of agencies without recent audits is much longer, but those not listed here have been in contact with the Auditor's Office as to why they have missed their deadlines.
Agency type, Agency, Name, Year of last audit report
1 State Agency 803 Eastern Plains Council of Governments 2004
2 Special District 4021 Hammond Conservancy District 2007
3 Special District 4031 North Central Solid Waste Authority 2004
4 Special District 4043 San Rafael Water & Sanitation District 2005
5 Special District 4046 High Plains Waste Management Association 2002
6 Special District 4048 Carlsbad Irrigation District 2006
7 Special District 4066 Anthony Water and Sanitation District 2007
8 Special District 4080 Rio San Jose Flood Control District 2004
9 Special District 4085 Regional Waste Water Treatment Plant 2005
10 Special District 4090 Yah-ta-hey Water & Sanitation District 2005
11 County 5006 De Baca County 2007
12 County 5018 Mora County 2007
13 Municipality 6008 City of Aztec 2006
14 Municipality 6028 Village of Santa Clara 2007
15 Municipality 6040 Village of Columbus 2007
16 Municipality 6046 Village of Cuba 2004
17 Municipality 6050 Village of Des Moines 2006
18 Municipality 6058 Village of Encino 2006
19 Municipality 6081 Village of Grenville 2007
20 Municipality 6100 Town of Lake Arthur 2002
21 Municipality 6120 Village of Maxwell 2005
22 Municipality 6122 Village of Melrose 2007
23 Municipality 6130 Village of Mosquero 2007
24 Municipality 6158 Village of San Ysidro 2006
25 Municipality 6174 City of Texico 2006
26 Municipality 6182 Town of Vaughn 2005
27 Municipality 6183 Village of Virden 2007
28 School 7020 Cuba Independent Schools 2007
29 School 7028 Espanola Public Schools 2006
30 School 7032 Floyd Municipal Schools 2007
31 School 7062 Mountainair Public Schools 2007
32 School 7087 Vaughn Municipal Schools 2007
33 Housing Authority 6046-A Cuba Housing Authority 2004
34 Housing Authority 6182-A Vaughn Housing Authority 2006
Friday, November 6, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Denish outlines how she'd cut the budget
At a press conference in Albuquerque, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish this morning called for three budget-cutting steps she says could save the state millions.
They include overhauling the state's capital outlay process; ending double dipping by state employees and better using technology to make government more efficient.
"During these challenging economic times, we must act boldly to make our state government leaner and more fiscally responsible," she said in a statement.
"Before anyone considers further cuts to education or health care, we simply must do everything possible to make government more efficient. Taken together, these reforms will save the state millions of dollars, generate economic activity in both the short term and long term, and provide greater accountability to the public for how their tax dollars are spent. New Mexico families are tightening their belts and government must do the same."
We've heard ideas of fixing capital outlay and dumping double dippers in the past. But her idea on technology seems new. Denish says the state could save $1.9 million a year by switching from current systems to Google Apps. I'm no expert here, but I can say Google Apps might at least be easier to use than programs like SHARE. . .
Given the way the 2010 gubernatorial campaign is going, I'm going to predict that it's just a matter of minutes until Denish's GOP opponents put out statements on Denish's ideas. They are likely to ask why Denish hasn't pushed for these measures in the past and what she's going to do to accomplish them.
They include overhauling the state's capital outlay process; ending double dipping by state employees and better using technology to make government more efficient.
"During these challenging economic times, we must act boldly to make our state government leaner and more fiscally responsible," she said in a statement.
"Before anyone considers further cuts to education or health care, we simply must do everything possible to make government more efficient. Taken together, these reforms will save the state millions of dollars, generate economic activity in both the short term and long term, and provide greater accountability to the public for how their tax dollars are spent. New Mexico families are tightening their belts and government must do the same."
We've heard ideas of fixing capital outlay and dumping double dippers in the past. But her idea on technology seems new. Denish says the state could save $1.9 million a year by switching from current systems to Google Apps. I'm no expert here, but I can say Google Apps might at least be easier to use than programs like SHARE. . .
Given the way the 2010 gubernatorial campaign is going, I'm going to predict that it's just a matter of minutes until Denish's GOP opponents put out statements on Denish's ideas. They are likely to ask why Denish hasn't pushed for these measures in the past and what she's going to do to accomplish them.
Group says Denish used federal funds for driver, polling and Christmas cards
The New Mexico Watchdog site has an interesting read on its blog this morning about what it says is the use of 2003 federal stimulus funds by Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Richardson and Denish to appear on PBS Friday
...but not together.
The duo will be on KNME, Channel 5's In Focus show this Friday at 7 p.m. in separate interviews.
Come to think of it, I can't think of the last time they did appear together, a big change from the early days of the administration. . .
Still, the show sounds worth checking out. Richardson in particular has given the local print media very little time in the past year. He's expected to talk about the budget and his plans to deal with the $253 million in cuts approved by lawmakers in the special session, as well as to look ahead to 2010.
The duo will be on KNME, Channel 5's In Focus show this Friday at 7 p.m. in separate interviews.
Come to think of it, I can't think of the last time they did appear together, a big change from the early days of the administration. . .
Still, the show sounds worth checking out. Richardson in particular has given the local print media very little time in the past year. He's expected to talk about the budget and his plans to deal with the $253 million in cuts approved by lawmakers in the special session, as well as to look ahead to 2010.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Richardson: tax increases inevitable
Given Gov. Bill Richardson's refusal to allow the Legislature to even consider raising taxes in the recent special session, does anyone else find it slightly amusing that he now says raising them is inevitable?
Keep in mind, his instructions to lawmakers to basically not even think about tax increases nearly caused them to go into an extraordinary session, one in which they would call the shots, and presumably would have increased some taxes, including on alcohol, cigarettes and probably motor vehicles.
His narrowly written proclamation also provoked hours of debate about what was -- and wasn't -- relevant to the session, costing thousands of state dollars and exhausting legislators.
But Richardson said at a press conference today that revenue increases will have to be made because of the state's budget crisis. Just a guess, but if I was a lawmaker right about now, I might be a little upset with Richardson, who didn't say what tax increases are on the table.
Keep in mind, his instructions to lawmakers to basically not even think about tax increases nearly caused them to go into an extraordinary session, one in which they would call the shots, and presumably would have increased some taxes, including on alcohol, cigarettes and probably motor vehicles.
His narrowly written proclamation also provoked hours of debate about what was -- and wasn't -- relevant to the session, costing thousands of state dollars and exhausting legislators.
But Richardson said at a press conference today that revenue increases will have to be made because of the state's budget crisis. Just a guess, but if I was a lawmaker right about now, I might be a little upset with Richardson, who didn't say what tax increases are on the table.
Gary Johnson's presidential ad
They say you aren't serious about running for something until you have an ad up. And while that has changed a little in a time when anyone can post an ad on YouTube for anything, this video for former Gov. Gary Johnson's apparent 2012 presidential bid is still pretty fascinating...even if it just turns out to be made by some folks who are working to draft him to run.
Johnson in a recent interview with the New Mexican was coy about his plans.
Check it out.
Johnson in a recent interview with the New Mexican was coy about his plans.
Check it out.
Smiley Gallegos back in the news
Bloomberg has this story today on Smiley Gallegos, former director of the state's Region Three Housing Authority.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
