INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The Subcommittee of the Committee on Local Government Finance met with members of the Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) on April 4 to collect additional details as the broader committee considers whether to put the district on fiscal watch.
The call for the meeting came after IVGID requested its fifth extension in its efforts to produce defensible figures for the 2024-25 audit. “Pursuant to NRS 354.624, it is the department’s policy to grant extensions only where unforeseen and uncontrollable conditions exist,” wrote Nevada Department of Taxation budget analyst Kellie Grahmann in an email response to IVGID’s fourth extension request in March.
Subcommittee member Gina Rackley began the meeting by clarifying that the meeting was intended as a fact-finding session.
“The subcommittee does not have the authority to put them on fiscal watch,” said Rackley. That’s the full board of the committee on local government finance so we are here in a more helpful, supportive role.” The full committee is scheduled to meet at the end of the month, in which decisions over whether to put the district on fiscal watch may be made, using information from the April 4 meeting.
‘A high risk of fraud’
Such a number of extensions are unusual for a public agency, and members of the public stepped in at the meeting to offer their opinion.
“The lack of system integration means inefficient manual processes must continue, creating a high risk of fraud,” said Judith Miller during public comment.
“The local government has allowed its accounting system and recording of transactions to deteriorate to such an extent that it is not possible to measure accurately the results of operations, or to ascertain the financial position of the local government without a reconstruction,” Miller added.
“You have already seen how IVGID is unable to keep track of its food and beverage operations. Our internal services fund has repeatedly had expenses exceed its revenues.”
IVGID members, including treasurer Mick Homan and District General Manager Robert Harrison attended to speak to their audit progress.
“It’s going to take time,” said Homan. “Staff and board are determined to do the fixes and to complete the audit. It’s absolutely in our best interest to get that done.”
“I think allowing us to just throw up our hands, allow another deadline to get in the way and force us to issue another disclaimer is in nobody’s best interest,” he added. “It’s not in the district’s best interest, it’s not in its residents’ best interest it’s not in the county’s or the state’s.”
‘Promising’ audit firm conversations
Regarding efforts to find an auditor, he said they were in touch with multiple possible firms and had had “some promising conversations.”
“We’ll just have to see how that plays out,” he said. “We will continue to power through this to get the audit done to put our financial house back in order and to do what’s right for the long-term viability and sustainability of the district.”
Others in attendance expressed skepticism over whether IVGID would be able to produce the numbers within due time of the fifth extension, or to get its finances in order. “The district has no ability to raise revenue to cover its expenses unless it comes up with phony revenue,” said Frank Wright during public comment.
The district has been in the hot seat over multiple disclaimers of opinion, questions over financial allocation, and high turnover. IVGID will next meet on April 30 in an audit committee meeting. It is still unclear whether they will have the necessary figures in due time.
发表回复