Commentary; Posted: 12/7/05
Safeguards a must for HHS college benefits
Ben Montzka
Guest Columnist
Some four weeks ago I criticized the Chisago County Boardís decision to continue a program that provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax money for postgraduate college degrees for seven employees of the Chisago County Department of Health and Human Services.
The county has been paying for their college tuition, books, mileage and possibly other expenses for the past four years. The workers received these benefits over and above their HHS salaries.
While some of the tax dollars spent were from federal revenue sources, a significant portion came from Chisago County funds.
At the Oct. 26 County Board meeting, I made a motion to suspend the program at least until certain safeguards are put in place ó things like requiring the student to maintain an acceptable grade-point average, and putting a cap on the dollars to be paid out.
My motion died for lack of a second.
After that meeting, a citizen informed me that, earlier this year, the full college benefit was extended to at least one HHS employee who is an undergraduate. This was done without Chisago County Board knowledge or approval.
In response, at the Nov. 23 board meeting, I reintroduced my motion to suspend the program until safeguards are included to protect against abuse of tax dollars in what appears to be a very extravagant HHS employee benefit program.
Once again, my motion died for lack of a second.
Employees from HHS are the only ones eligible for the full college-degree benefit. I believe it is unfair that other Chisago County employees are only eligible for $500 per year in education reimbursement.
Further, the HHS college benefit is a waste of tax dollars because it disregards the many options in place for college funding (i.e., scholarships, state and private grants) that could be utilized first, before spending county funds.
I commend our HHS Department for the excellent job they are doing in caring for our needy citizens, but I wish they would be as careful with our tax dollars.
The HHS is the only county department that audits its own funds. I donít think the college-benefit program would have reached to hundreds of thousands of dollars if the county auditor had been responsible for this financial management function, as he is for all other departments.
That is why I am now calling on the Chisago County Board to turn the complete audit function of HHS funds back over to the Chisago County Auditor where it rightfully belongs.
I may be reached for questions and comments at 651-462-4200 or by e-mail at montzka@aol.com.
Ben Montzka, Wyoming, represents District Four on the Chisago County Board of Commissioners.
Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605