Breaking: County Executive Marc Elrich Withholds Financial Compliance Review of BusPatrol America, LLC from the County Council and Public

In December of 2019, the Montgomery County Internal Audit office completed a financial compliance review of BusPatrol America, LLC.

But the Internal Audit office only released the cover page of the audit to the County Council and the public. 

The entire report has been kept secret from the public and from the County Council for two years. 

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Montgomery County Internal Audit Program

This program provides independent strategic risk-based auditing services.  The core function of this program is to improve internal controls and provide reasonable assurance of reliable financial reporting, effective and efficient operations, legal and regulatory compliance, fraud investigation and deterrence, and the safeguarding of County assets.  

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) operates a School Bus Safety Camera Program (Program) with the assistance of a contractor, BusPatrol America, LLC (BusPatrol), with an overall goal to reduce the incidence of possible injuries to MCPS students. The Program is designed to implement a system including the installation, maintenance, and operation of cameras on school buses that record images of vehicles overtaking or passing stopped school buses. When the images of a vehicle overtaking or passing a stopped school bus are adjudicated, the violator is issued a citation. The County and MCPS entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the Program; the MOU detailed the respective roles and responsibilities of the two parties. 

Montgomery County Internal Audit (MCIA) conducted a financial compliance review of BusPatrol for transactions occurring from July 1, 2016 through August 31, 2019, with the following objectives: 

1. Obtain supporting documentation and verify the validity of charges billed to the County; 

2. Calculate the total amount of payments made to BusPatrol and compare to the “Cost of Investment” reconciliation prepared by BusPatrol defined in the Agreement;

 

3. Confirm if (or when anticipated) the break-even point would be reached; 

4. Perform analysis of any payments owed by the County to BusPatrol. This report summarizes the review performed. 

THIS REPORT CONTAINS PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND IS CONSIDERED CONFIDENTIAL. THE REPORT IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC .

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/exec/internal_audit.html

2019 Financial Compliance R... by Parents' Coalition of Montg...

County Executive's Meetings: Meals/Snacks/Refreshments Budget

We don't know if the County Executive has a County credit card, but we do know that the County Executive also has a Meals/Snacks/Refreshment budget.

County Executive Policy Planning and Development: Meals/Snacks/Refreshments  $5,000

County Executive Chief Administrative Officer - Supervision and Management of Executive Branch: Meals/Snacks/Refreshments $5,000

Travel, training and education for the County Executive's office

More line item budgets for the County Executive's office can be found at the link below.


Source:
https://data.montgomerycountymd.gov/Financial/Fiscal-Year-2014-Budget/85n2-q296

An extraordinary new study suggests judges and elected leaders in Montgomery County are doing too little to protect children in homes with a history of domestic violence.

Bravo to these Court watchers for putting in the time and effort to document what goes on in Montgomery County Court rooms.


...The volunteers say in 70% of the hearings they attended, judges ordered unsupervised visits between a child and father even after finding clear and convincing evidence he'd committed violence on the child's mother...

ttp://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/2014/05/29/montgomery-failing-domestic-violence-kids/9740917/