An application for COVID-19 relief from the Carroll County Veterans Affairs office will be including a notification that disbursements will be subject to a potential audit. In June, Carroll County Veterans Affairs Director, Louie Grote, was notified by the state that money typically used for training and education could be reallocated to direct support. Since many of those educational opportunities had been canceled, the roughly $10,000 is to be distributed via gift cards to veterans who have lost their jobs or had their employment impacted by coronavirus. However, the supervisors have concerns about what they perceive as a lack of accountability. Both Gene Meiners and Neil Bock say they have regrets about their original approval of the distribution, even though it is for a great cause.
The ideal would be a master list that can be reviewed by the auditor to ensure there is no duplication. This does not necessarily need to include names, but can be constructed with a code to ensure anonymity. Bock stresses their position.
If this state allocation is not distributed, it would go back into reserves and the supervisors do want to use it for the benefit our area veterans. However, Chair, Rich Ruggles, wants to make sure it does not become a liability to the county.
Ruggles says he also wants to go on record with his belief the programs through the Veterans Office are valuable and necessary. But, in his eyes, a letter received from the local level contained a tone that is unacceptable. Meiners agrees. The supervisors have decided that a letter is to be drafted on their behalf and delivered to Grote with a notice that this is a legal directive, different than other veteran claims, and he is to add the audit statement to all applications. They will also work with County Auditor, Kourtney Irlbeck, on ways to track disbursements.
