Latest news with #CindyByrd
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mental health department has ‘glaring' issues, Oklahoma state auditor reports
State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd released the preliminary findings of an audit of Oklahoma's mental health department Tuesday. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A growing number of high-dollar executive hires and 'questionable spending' on a Super Bowl commercial and Narcan machines have contributed to the financial disarray at the state's mental health department, the state auditor reported Tuesday. The audit of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services also reported that leadership at the agency is unable to understand and explain some complex issues within the agency and that employees were forced to sign nondisclosure agreements and discouraged from cooperating with investigations. State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd said the report's preliminary findings, released Tuesday, revealed 'some glaring financial and systemic issues' at a 'massive state agency' that has a budget of over $750 million. 'It needs a director with executive managerial experience and a mastery of basic budgetary and compliance skills,' she said in a statement. The audit comes amid reports of financial shortfalls, canceled or cut contracts and other disarray at the department. The Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector's Office expects to release a more detailed audit at a later date. Although Gov. Kevin Stitt requested the audit in March, on Tuesday his spokesperson said the report didn't fulfill his request, is 'politically charged' and wastes taxpayer dollars because it duplicates work already completed. The audit found that since January 2024, when Stitt named Allie Friesen commissioner, her agency has hired 38 people at a salary exceeding $100,000 and awarded 376 employees pay raises greater than 10%. Only 17 of new hires were medical while the rest were executive hires. The agency's payroll was over $150 million in budget year 2024, according to the audit. The audit urged the agency to reexamine its recent executive hires and review terminations to ensure they weren't retaliatory. The state's transition to a Medicaid managed care health care insurance system has created issues paying providers which also impacted the agency's budget. The agency also hasn't communicated effectively that there have been changes in the federal government's Medicaid reimbursement rates since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the audit found. The transition to managed care 'caused a lag in both billing and payments after implementation,' the audit found, creating issues with properly paying claims. Payments have been made to the wrong parties and sent to wrong locations. The payment issues affect the department's cash flow, the report found. The mental health department's existing budget request, made by Friesen to lawmakers at the beginning of the year, was impacted by the governor's request for executive branch agencies to submit flat budget requests and 'difficulty explaining complex and misunderstood needs related to topics like Medicaid growth and pended payments, which resulted in a lack of urgency around these issues,' according to the audit. The mental health department also began the current budget year with a deficit as $9.4 million from its current budget was used to pay last year's debts, according to the audit. But the audit also flagged 'questionable' spending and said there's increasing pressure on employees from agency leadership with required nondisclosure agreements. The pressure on employees also included 'employing armed guards, locking down the administrative floor, and even threatening employees in meetings,' according to the report. One lawmaker on the select committee previously asked agency leadership about a report that someone had threatened to go 'full cop mode' on staff that hadn't signed an NDA, but leadership said they were not aware of this instance. While testifying to a select committee of state lawmakers, Friesen admitted that some employees were asked to sign NDAs, but that it was an optional practice. But the report from the state auditor's office revealed agency staff told investigators they were 'required' to sign the NDAs. Staff also reported to investigators issues with leadership not attending meetings, signing documents, having to learn about 'internal events' through the media, and frequently changing the supervisor structure so they don't know who to report to. Friesen did not directly comment on the findings, but agency spokesperson Maria Chaverri said the department is reviewing the state auditor's report. 'We've created a large table of external diverse experts to help us bring light and end years of corruption,' she said in a statement. '… We look forward to the additional contributions from third party investigators and financial auditors in the coming months.' Friesen's agency has come under fire and is the subject of a handful of probes. A certified public accountant appointed by Stitt most recently reported a nearly $30 million shortfall for the current budget year, and lawmakers are currently working to finalize the agency's budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Byrd said the state agency needs $28.7 million in emergency funding to make it through the current budget year. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Some providers have reported a lack of reimbursements for services provided to indigent populations, and Byrd's report found over $87.6 million of those. These payments are historically reimbursed with funds still available at the end of the budget year, but not at 100%. Stitt has continued to express his support for Friesen and previously said she is 'shining a light' on bureaucracy and agency mismanagement. The commissioner has previously blamed her predecessors for many of the issues at the state agency. 'This is disappointing,' he said in a statement Tuesday. 'On behalf of the Oklahoma taxpayers, I asked for a financial audit of the financial management of the last five years, not an exploration into whether or not Cindy Byrd approves of the culture of the department. This reeks of politics. Oklahomans deserve an audit done in good faith and a report that gives them the answers they deserve.' Byrd said the urgency of Stitt's audit request forced her office to put other investigations on the 'backburner,' including one of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, but plans to resume them immediately. In addition to the report from the state auditor, reports from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Oversight, a select investigative committee of lawmakers and David Greenwell, an accountant appointed by Stitt, have publicly shared their own findings. None of their numbers for the agency's deficit have been the same. Robert Campbell, a special investigator appointed by Stitt, has not yet released a report. He was appointed May 8.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State Auditor releases initial report on Department of Mental Health
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd has released the first part of an audit report analyzing the short-term needs of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The report released on Tuesday afternoon comes as a result of heightened scrutiny over ODMHSAS' nearly $30 million budget shortfall and recent payroll issues. 'This report is a financial analysis to estimate the short-term needs of ODMHSAS. It is not the final investigative audit report,' said Byrd. 'However, even this abbreviated version reveals some glaring financial and systemic issues. ODMHSAS is a massive agency with an annual budget of more than $750 million. It needs a director with executive managerial experience and a mastery of basic budgetary and compliance skills.' Report: Oklahoma mental health agency facing nearly $30 million budget hole The report also says that SAI investigators were told some employees 'were required tosign nondisclosure agreements and discouraged from cooperating with the investigation.' Questionable past spending was also highlighted in the report, citing the Narcan vending machines and ad campaign, 988 help line regional Super Bowl ad, and paused Donahue Behavioral Health campus construction as examples. Byrd's preliminary recommendations include hiring a qualified CFO with state government financial experience as soon as possible, evaluating the qualifications of recent executive hires, and scrutinizing recent and ongoing terminations to ensure they aren't retaliatory. The full initial report can be read here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State Auditor releases report on Cleveland County Sheriff's Office budget
NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) — On Thursday, the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector released a special report detailing the findings from their audit of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office after county commissioners accused the sheriff of mismanaging funds. Back in June 2024, Cleveland County Commissioners unanimously approved a transfer of funds to a 'taxpayer assisted bailout fund' to cover over $3 million in overspending by Sheriff Chris Amason. The CCSO then suddenly announced layoffs in September, losing 25 staff members as well as five open staff positions. The county later released payroll numbers from April 2020 to 2024, revealing an overall pay increase in many departments as well as an increase in staffing from an average 181 employees in 2020 to 223 employees in 2024. Sheriff's budget battle in Cleveland County gets heated These are some of the most notable findings in the special audit report released by State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd on Thursday: Failure to stay within budget and not properly ensuring funds are available for expenditures before making purchases for at least 41 expenditures totaling nearly $130,000 Improper controls over travel expenses, which include costs for 24 out-of-state training conferences in Fiscal Year 2024 totaling over $33,000 Turnover in administrative staff responsible for properly documenting financial matters The full audit report can be found here. Amason posted the following statement on social media on Thursday afternoon following the release of the audit report. This is not about numbers—it's about priorities. The repeated underfunding of the Sheriff's Office is not accidental. It reflects a pattern of strategic neglect disguised as budget management. While others played politics with public safety, this office continued doing the work the public expects and deserves. My office has always welcomed transparency. What we won't tolerate is being targeted through bureaucratic sleight of hand while the community's safety and the livelihoods of dedicated employees are placed at risk. The public deserves to know the truth—and I'm here to ensure they do. Cleveland County Sheriff Chris Amason A Cleveland County spokesperson sent a release to News 4 saying the Cleveland County Budget Board is expected to determine next steps in the coming days after they review the audit. Late Thursday, the District Attorney's office for Cleveland County said it is reviewing the State Auditor's Special Audit Report and its findings. The review is underway, and once that is complete, a decision will be made on how to proceed. PR-Audit-1Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State auditor finds Tulsa Public Schools mismanaged money, lacked oversight
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The anticipated audit on Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) was finally released on Wednesday. It's been a long time coming, especially after the audit was supposed to be released two weeks ago. 'The audit is complete and the findings are significant, but you're not allowed to see it,' said State Auditor Cindy Byrd on February 11, 2025. Two weeks ago, State Auditor Cindy Byrd held a press conference to release an audit over Tulsa Public Schools. However, lawyers for the district delayed the release by using an Oklahoma law. Tulsa Public Schools files request for audit, denies allegations of misleading public That meant the audit was tucked away, until Wednesday, when State Auditor Byrd finally released the results. The audit and its findings date back to 2022 when Governor Stitt sent a letter to Byrd asking her to investigate TPS. 'At the request of two Tulsa school board members, today I am calling for a special audit of Tulsa Public Schools and the potential mishandling of public funds,' said Governor Stitt in July of 2022. The governor's letter to Byrd said TPS received millions in COVID relief, but schools were closed for 300 days, which is longer than any district in the state. He also requested that she look into concerns the district allegedly violated a law banning schools from teaching critical race theory. Wednesday's audit found that TPS got over $80 million in relief funding from 2020 to 2023, and their investigation uncovered the district did use the funds correctly. However, Byrd said questions still arose. 'The invoices TPS submitted for reimbursement through ESSER did not detail the services rendered, questioning costs totaling $4.9 million,' said Byrd. The other big question from the governor was the district's alleged violation of the state's critical race theory law. Byrd said her focus was on the financial review of schools, not what students were learning. 'There is evidence that the district did incur some expenditures from vendors of prohibited concepts after House Bill 1775 became effective,' said Byrd. Tulsa Public Schools responded to the audit's release. 'We've already, from the powerpoint presentation of the audit, we have submitted our questions and or wonderings and or inquiries and or artifacts to get the auditors office just to take a look at, and see if there could have been some misunderstanding there, or we need more clarity on some of these findings, we've already submitted, they've acknowledged they've received it, and we'll see what happens,' said Dr. Ebony Johnson, Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent. With the findings, State Auditor Byrd said she hopes TPS can re-vamp how they operate and properly track funds within the district. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tulsa school district invokes obscure law to avoid immediate release of state audit
An audit of Tulsa Public Schools more than two years in the making was set to be announced Tuesday, but State Auditor Cindy Byrd said the district has invoked an obscure state law that will prevent her from releasing the findings for up to 14 days. A noticeably agitated Byrd said the district notified her of its decision Tuesday morning. She said the district's decision is consistent with its 'pattern of behavior' ever since Gov. Kevin Stitt called for the audit in July 2022 and that the district has placed 'constant obstacles' in the path of her office as the audit has progressed. She said that's why it's taken so long to complete the audit. The statute cited by the district reads, 'Except for audits requested by a prosecutorial agency, the findings of an audit performed on any school district by any agency, or on behalf of or at the direction of any state agency, shall be discussed with the members of the board of education and the superintendent or a designee of the affected school district at least fourteen (14) days prior to the release of the audit to the public.' Byrd said in her 28 years of conducting government audits, 'including countless school districts, no one has ever invoked this statute – ever,' she said. 'The audit is complete and the findings are significant, but you're not allowed to see it,' Byrd said. The Tulsa school district, the largest in the state, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Stitt alleged, when calling for the audit, that the district was suspected of 'potential mishandling of public funds' and of violating House Bill 1775, a law that bans the teaching of certain racial and gender topics in Oklahoma classrooms. In 2022, the district reported it discovered suspicious expenses within its talent management department. An audit conducted then found its former chief talent and equity officer, Devin Fletcher, received more than $50,000 from vendors contracted with the school district and he authorized vendors to make similarly questionable payments to other Tulsa district employees, the Tulsa World reported. Fletcher was convicted and is serving time in federal prison. The Tulsa superintendent at the time, Deborah Gist, resigned in August 2023 and was succeeded by Ebony Johnson. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Tulsa Public Schools delays release of audit using obscure state law
