PCOC DAMNED BY IT'S OWN AUDITOR

The Lakeland-based audit firm The NCT Group, which has worked with the Polk County Opportunity Council since it was founded in 1979, discussed a draft audit of the organization's fiscal year ending September 30, 2004 with it's client on Tuesday, and according to the Lakeland Ledger story this morning issued a rare "disclaimer opinion", noting that severe accounting problems and a questionable future of securing government grant funds "raises substantial doubt about the organization's ability to continue as a going concern."

A disclaimer opinion means that because of some hindrance -- a lack of records, a lack of management cooperation or the client's sloppiness -- no opinion could be formulated by the auditor.

PCOC is a community action agency which provides a number of services for low income residents throughout Polk County, and is best known in the area for managing the area's Head Start programme.

Head Start and Florida Department of Community Affairs investigators found a number of mainly financial problems --- primarily due to sloppy recordkeeping --- and instructed PCOC to correct the issues or face the loss of funding.

And how did PCOC board members react?

Ozell Wilson, PCOC board chairman, said the only reason the state Department of Community Affairs investigators even showed up in Bartow was "a congressman" prodded them to do so. U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, has been a frequent critic of PCOC.

Board members said that because the audit is in draft stage, it shouldn't be made public and questioned why a Ledger reporter was given one.

I've always appreciated PCOC, especially since my two children attended Head Start through their programme. They generally do good work and provide services for a number of people. But you've got to run your organization right. If you insist on being more concerned with playing "cover your ass" and not make a serious, sincere effort to correct the shortcomings on your administrative side and play by the rules, something drastic has to be done.