At the Cooper County Public Health Center monthly meeting held Tuesday night, administrator Melanie Hein presented the audit report for 2007. In the report, there were not any deficiencies that are considered material weaknesses.

Auditors Gerding, Korte and Chitwood did find a deficiency that is considered to be significant relating to accounting personnel. Because the public health center does not have the financial resources to hire enough personnel to segregate accounting duties, this cannot be done. GKC said a proper segregation can reduce the risk of errors and fraud and it is an important factor in internal control. They recommended the center implement other controls to compensate for the lack of segregation.

The audit also found the center does not have pledged securities to cover deposits and that it is in violation of state statute. GKC recommended the center ensure they receive pledged securities agreements with the institutions that are holding the deposits.

For the rest of the story, read the Thursday, May 8 print edition of the BDN.