FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2019
Audit Shows Need for Increased Oversight, Better Practices at State Library
Contact information: Brianna Ludwig, North Dakota State Auditor’s Office, 701-328-2453, bsludwig@nd.gov
State Auditor Joshua Gallion today released an audit of the North Dakota State Library that found the Library violated state law by inconsistently charging expenditures between different appropriation lines to avoid overspending in one line. Once audit corrections were made, the Library had exceeded their operating expenses by over $16,000.
The State Library also made incorrect eligibility determinations for three public libraries. Two were not eligible to receive aid; however, both received state aid totaling $12,458, and a third did not initially receive aid, even though they met the threshold required. The third was later awarded $19,038 and the State Library made the payment out of their operating budget rather than the grant appropriation line which was a violation of their appropriation.
The audit also found that the State Library was accepting applications that should have been certified by the city or county auditor.
"The State Library has an opportunity to improve how they manage public dollars.” Auditor Gallion said. “I encourage the Library to address the issues we identified and make the necessary corrections to ensure compliance with the law.”
This audit is a result of the State Auditor’s Office statutory responsibility to audit or review each state agency once every two years. The complete audit report can be found on their website, http://bit.ly/NDLibrary19.
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