NEWS
By Carrie Wells, The Baltimore Sun | April 23, 2013
The State Archives had inadequate procedures to prevent loss or employee theft of its $31.4 million art collection, and outdated software left its computers vulnerable to attack, an audit released Tuesday found. The Department of Legislative Services audit did not find evidence that computers had been hacked or art lost or stolen, but recommended the State Archives improve its oversight. State Archives officials agreed with the auditors' findings and said they have put into place the recommendations or will soon do so. The State Archives, with a $8.7 million annual budget, keep historically significant documents and art, as well as certain government and private records.
NEWS
April 8, 2013
Here's the gist of what legislative auditors discovered when they recently evaluated Baltimore's liquor board: It is doing a lousy job. And here's a short summary of the liquor board's response: Yup. It would be shocking if it weren't so predictable. Does anyone living in this city believe the Baltimore Board of Liquor License Commissioners has ever done an adequate job of overseeing businesses that sell alcohol? Maybe a few former commissioners, but probably not them either. Not that the business of regulating bars and package stores is without controversy elsewhere in the state.
NEWS
By Scott Calvert, The Baltimore Sun | March 6, 2013
State tax officials should take steps to help ensure that Marylanders who receive the homestead property tax credit remain eligible for the popular discount, auditors said in a report released Wednesday. Auditors also said state officials should methodically review some past recipients to identify owners who have gotten large tax discounts improperly — and who should refund the government. "There are ways to be proactive about this and not depend on people providing tips," state Legislative Auditor Thomas J. Barnickel III said in an interview Wednesday.
NEWS
By Erica L. Green, The Baltimore Sun | February 26, 2013
A state audit found that the Maryland State Department of Education did not conduct routine but critical inspections of child care facilities and failed to follow up on red flags raised by background checks of staff working for the programs. The audit, released Tuesday by the state's Office of Legislative Audits, found that the department did not perform 31 mandated inspections of child care facilities in the region, primarily in Baltimore and in Prince George's County. The inspections "ensure that child care facilities protect the general health and safety of children under their care," such as supervision and cleanliness, according to the audit.
NEWS
By Erica L. Green, The Baltimore Sun | February 21, 2013
University of Maryland University College may have overpaid $3.3 million to a marketing contractor, state auditors found in a review that came just before the school's president was placed on indefinite leave and then abruptly resigned. The misstep was included as an addendum in a routine review of the university's operational and financial systems published Thursday by the state's Office of Legislative Audits. Auditors noted that after the conclusion of their fieldwork — which primarily occurred March 2011 through August 2011 — "we became aware of certain significant events that necessitated additional focused audit work.
NEWS
By Arthur Hirsch, The Baltimore Sun | January 10, 2013
Michael Mershon can get pretty stirred up about lighting. He's been working in the business for more than 30 years, most of that time in Maryland, and said he's seen local governments waste millions of dollars on lighting jobs through contract practices that were sloppy, or worse. He was worked up enough early last year to file a complaint with the Howard County auditor, detailing how companies he was representing were prevented from bidding against a large lighting company for a job on a county athletic field.