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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 2018)
Page 8A OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian Friday, August 31, 2018 Audit: Oregon agencies vulnerable to waste and fraud By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau SALEM — Oregon has not prioritized inter- nal audits at state agen- cies, leaving those agencies “more vulnerable to fraud, wasted taxpayer dollars, and other substantial risks,” a new Secretary of State audit finds. Internal auditors work for the agency they audit, and provide ongoing mon- itoring of agency activi- ties, which can save money, improve agency programs and services and prevent future problems. Agencies that spend at least $100 million every budget cycle, process $10 million in cash or cash equivalents annually, or have 400 or more full-time equivalent staff are required by state law to establish, maintain and support an internal audit function. External auditors, such as those based in the Secre- tary of State’s Office, per- form intermittent audits of state agencies and are not employed by those agencies. Wednesday’s report claims that internal audit- ing is “not prioritized or well understood by agency management and the Leg- islature,” and has not been for more than 20 years. “Policymakers face intense, compet- ing demands for limited resources, and the prior- ity of internal auditing in the state has diminished over time,” auditors wrote. “Oregon is not alone in this regard, as internal audit- ing and investigations are among the first areas cut by agencies in many states fac- ing fiscal challenges. How- ever, this practice is count- er-productive, as auditors are especially helpful to management in finding opportunities for agency improvement, cost savings and additional revenues — opportunities that become especially valuable in times of budget shortfalls.” Secretary of State audi- tors pointed to the Oregon Department of Energy as an example of an agency that could likely benefit from more robust internal auditing. “The Oregon Depart- ment of Energy has long struggled to maintain audit staff and meet state require- ments for internal audit work,” auditors wrote. “... The agency has not per- formed a risk assessment or convened a meeting of its audit committee since 2015, and consistently has not met state requirements for audits completed. Yet the agency has faced chal- lenges, such as fraud and waste related to Business Energy Tax Credits pro- gram that could have pos- sibly been mitigated with dedicated audit resources.” And in some state agen- cies, internal auditors don’t meet guidelines for independence from man- agement, lowering their effectiveness. The Secretary of State’s Office also found that the Department of Adminis- trative Services has failed to guide, manage or effec- tively coordinate state agency internal auditing functions. DAS reports on internal audit activities are “often inaccurate, confusing and uninformative,” the audit report contends. The internal auditors the state does have can do their jobs better, the Secretary of State review found, but DAS can also provide more guidance to help maximize the impact of the internal auditors state government does have. DAS has a five-year plan to tackle the work associ- ated with the Secretary of State’s audit recommenda- tions, state Chief Operating Officer Katy Coba wrote in a response to the audit, addressed to audits division director Kip Memmott. Top managers at DAS, the state’s Chief Audit Executive, and the Chief Audit Executive Council plan to develop a “stronger and more informational” annual report on internal audit activities, review state administrative rules on internal auditing for possi- ble changes and improving training materials for “pro- ductive audit committees.” ROYALTY: They wouldn’t trade their speck of a town for a larger one Continued from 1A other and thanked Tate, then teamed up to tell the tale of preparing for their respective competitions. Moore cred- ited Skramstad for acting as a mentor, calming nerves and instilling confidence. Skram- stad said she honed her own skills as she advised Moore. Moore’s mother, Andrea Moore, said she remained in awe of the pair’s tenacity. “They worked hours and hours and hours,” Andrea said. The drilling and planning paid off. Judges rated contestants on a diverse list of skills during the two competitions. At the four-day Miss Rodeo Oregon pageant, Skrams- tad and her three fellow con- testants took written rodeo knowledge tests, gave pre- pared speeches, answered judges’ questions, demon- strated horsemanship, signed autographs, modeled, did mock media interviews and participated in local rodeos. Skramstad said she wasn’t bothered by nerves. “Each night, I slept like a rock,” she said. “I always joke that if I was more laid back, I’d be dead.” Skramstad’s adrenaline level spiked a bit, though, upon learning she had won the crown. “They announced my name and it sunk in for about half a second,” she said. “Then I started crying.” Moore, who is a sopho- more at Weston-McEwen High School, wasn’t quite as calm during her compe- tition in July. She remem- bers texting Skramstad from her hotel room, “Taylor, I’m freaking out.” She relaxed a few days later when the crown was set on her head. “I could breathe,” she said. “A huge weight came off my shoulders.” Both women have rodeo and ranch experience, which they say will help them serve as ambassadors to the sport Staff photo by E.J. Harris Umapine residents Meredith Moore, 15, and Taylor Ann Skramstad both claim to have fond memories of walking to Tate’s Umapine Mercantile for treats while growing up in the small northeastern Oregon town. of rodeo. Skramstad com- peted in barrel racing, break- away roping, goat tying and team roping for Walla Walla and Blue Mountain commu- nity colleges. Moore com- petes at the high school level. Both grew up on horses. They have ambitious plans for the future. Skramstad plans to fin- ish her agricultural science degree at Eastern Oregon University and enroll in law school at Willamette Univer- sity. She dreams of eventu- ally advocating for agricul- ture and Eastern Oregon as a state legislator. Moore hopes to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy and then Air Force flight school, where she’ll learn to fly bombers. But, first comes a year of representing Oregon rodeo. They will travel far and wide, attending parades, rodeos and other events. Skramstad will compete for the Miss Rodeo America title in December of 2019. The job brings awesome responsibilities. “I am the face of rodeo,” Skramstad said. “I am expected to know just as much or more than rodeo contestants.” “I am helping engage a new generation of rodeo fans and competitors,” Moore said. “A lot of kids now- adays don’t get the whole rodeo experience. I’m help- ing instill in them the west- ern way of life.” The women must spend time fundraising for a por- tion of their expenses, so they are searching for spon- sors, whose logos will go on the sides of the rodeo queens’ horse trailers. Jackpot rop- ings, wine and dessert raffles and other such fundraising events are in the works. After official trips, they will return home to Umap- ine. Both women say they wouldn’t trade their speck of a town for a larger one. The community, they say, is close-knit and supportive. “Our community is just a family,” Moore said. “It’s small, but connected. We have each others’ backs.” ——— Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0810. PARKS: After-school programs were very important Continued from 1A The top-rated facility was the aquatic center, which scored a 95 percent “good” and “excellent” rating in the maintenance category while 96 percent thought it had the right amount of amenities. While parks and rec facil- ities were generally well rated, the parks system was more varied. In terms of the right amount of amenities, Brownfield Park is the most highly rated park in the sys- tem, followed by Commu- nity, Pioneer, and Grecian Heights parks. But Community Park is by the far most popular park in the system, with 66 per- cent reporting visiting it in the past year. On a cloudy Thursday afternoon, the various peo- ple walking the paths, using the playground or playing the disc golf course seemed to reflect the popular feeling. Samantha Brown was walking down the path toward the baseball fields as she pushed her 2-year-old daughter Aislyn in a stroller with 4-year-old Autumn in tow. Brown said she often brings her kids to the park, where it’s grassy, flat, and contains easy sight lines. “I don’t do too well on hills,” she joked as her daughters started chanting the word “grassy.” Over on the east side, Ralph Noy sat on the base of a slide as his wife Carol chased around their 3-year- old granddaughter, Paisley. Noy remembered when it was an undeveloped wooded area where he would go to fish along McKay Creek, and although he hasn’t been to Community Park often since it was developed, he felt that its playground equipment was better suited for his grandchildren than Rice-Blakey Park, which is closer to his home. Not every park is as beloved as Community Park. Only about 50 percent of respondents felt like Aldrich Park had the right amount of amenities. Other parks with low amenity scores included the Let’Er Bark Dog Park, May Park, and Airport Park, although so few people vis- ited the latter two parks the sample size only ranged from five to 18 patrons. As short-term fixes, Campbell DeLong sug- gested addressing survey complaints by adding fenc- ing to Let’Er Bark, and add- ing or upgrading amenities at May and Aldrich parks. The survey also presented some more ambitious ideas that were polled among the respondents. When asked what pro- grams, activities or enhance- ments the survey takers wanted to see, 52 percent said it was “very important” to have after-school pro- grams for elementary school children. Pluralities also considered it very import- ant to cover the 50-meter pool at the aquatic center, more bicycle and walking paths for getting around the community, and affordable, year-round preschool and daycare. Among the written com- ments, building a splash pad for toddlers would be a wel- come addition to the parks. Back at Community Park, Noy said he would like to see more playgrounds geared toward younger chil- dren in more parks. Brown said she would like to see more parks — period — because the green spaces provided a nice con- trast to the tans and beiges that usually characterize the Pendleton summer color palette. Campbell DeLong pre- sented their findings to the council on Tuesday, prompt- ing Councilor Paul Chalm- ers to ask if they polled respondents on how these new programs and facilities would be paid for. While adding those kind of questions was debated, John Campbell, the Camp- bell DeLong director of training, planning, and assessment, said it was bet- ter to do a separate survey asking respondents what programs and facilities they would prefer to pay for. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0836. CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family Clinic CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family Clinic is recognized as a Patient -Centered Primary Care Home. What does that mean for you? • Better-coordinated care. • Listening to your concerns and answering ques- tions. • After-hours nurse consultation. • Healthcare providers who will help connect you with the care you need in a safe and timely way. • Healthcare providers who play an active role in your health. HOURS Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred. CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family Clinic 3001 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton, OR 97801 541.966.0535 • 541.278.4597 (fax)
