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<p>HARRISBURG &#8212; Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale this week testified before the House Financial Rescue Caucus to discuss risks to the state and the direction of his agency in 2018.</p><p>DePasquale said the caucus was formed to help increase awareness of ongoing financial challenges &#8212; and Pennsylvania has plenty.</p><p>&#8220;First and foremost, our Commonwealth faces a major financial risk because we lack a fair and equitable education funding formula,&#8221; DePasquale said, citing findings of recent school district audits. &#8220;When a school district struggles financially, student education suffers as learning opportunities are limited. This can have a long-lasting economic impact on communities.&#8221;</p><p>DePasquale told the panel the state needs to provide adequate funding so every student can succeed in the classroom and later the workforce.</p><p>DePasquale said the failure to adequately fund programs and services is not limited to education funding. During an audit of the Department of Human Services&#8217; ChildLine hotline, DePasquale said his team noticed an incorrect assessment of the financial impact of new laws, which led DHS to fail to request additional dollars for children and youth agencies.</p><p>&#8220;As Auditor General, my team conducts about 5,000 audits per year, giving me a close-up view of the inefficiencies in how state tax dollars are spent,&#8221; DePasquale said. &#8220;From some of my recent audits, the inefficiencies are due to a multitude of reasons: lack of competitive bidding and claw-back provisions in all contracts; outdated or obsolete technology; and failure to oversee how funds are spent.&#8221; </p><p><strong>Upcoming work</strong></p><p>DePasquale said his department anticipates the upcoming release of a number of school audits, as well as standard reviews of municipal pension plans, Volunteer Firefighter Relief Associations and liquid fuels funds to ensure they are being spent properly. Other audits to be released include:</p><p>&#8226; PennDOT, including its contracting process</p><p>&#8226; Workforce Development programs</p><p>&#8226; Department of State&#8217;s voter registry system</p><p>&#8226; Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission</p><p>&#8226; Delaware River Basin Commission</p><p>&#8226; Susquehanna River Basin Commission</p><p>&#8226; Pennsylvania Game Commission</p><p>&#8220;Finally, I would like to leave you with one more very important issue that deserves substantial review because of its direct impact on citizens &#8212; the thousands of municipal authorities across the state that are lacking state oversight,&#8221; DePasquale said. &#8220;These entities make decisions regarding vital services, such as water, sewer and parking, that directly impact their residents, but these authorities are generally subject to no government review. Changes to this current system could have an immediate and profound impact on improving the efficiency of our local governments.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">DePasquale </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/web1_TTL092717children2-1-1-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>DePasquale </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader File Photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Times Leader Staff</p></bylineMeta></div>

Auditor General discusses risks to Commonwealth, 2018 plans