The Arizona Auditor General says it found internal weakness and noncompliance in financial reporting at the Maricopa County Community College District.
A review of district finances for fiscal year 2022 found that about $4.4 million were at increased risk of fraud. That was due to supervisors not reviewing thousands of employee time sheets.
An example from previous years found an employee intentionally misreported time and was overpaid by more than $13,000 between 2017 and 2019.
The report also spells out the district did not follow certain vendor protocols, allowing nearly $30,000 to be stolen by fraudsters.
The district agreed with the findings in the mishandling of public monies. The report did not find material weaknesses at the district.
Material weaknesses mean a company's internal controls are ineffective.
"While the Maricopa Community Colleges are pleased with the audit's result of not identifying any deficiencies in internal control that the Auditor General considered to be material weaknesses, we have taken significant steps towards resolving the items noted in the report. MCCCD has implemented and improved additional training, reporting, and approval processes in an effort to resolve these issues moving forward," said Charles Coolidge, EVP of marketing and communications.
EDITOR'S NOTE: KJZZ is licensed to the Maricopa County Community College District.
