State needs to improve contract oversight

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The problems that State Auditor Mike Foley uncovered at the Autism Center in Omaha show that the state’s system for overseeing its contracts with outside providers is still slipshod.

Foley last week accused the Bellevue agency of falsifying records in order to inflate the hours of service provided to its clients.

He also charged that the Autism Center had misspent state and federal tax dollars by using agency credit cards to purchase liquor and nail care, items from Victoria’s Secret and a Rottweiler dog licensed to the son of Randall and Rhonda Bojanski, the center’s chief executive officer and chief operating officer, respectively.

Although Autism Center officials denied the allegations, the Bojanskis gave up their positions on Tuesday.

The center cares for 52 people with autism. During the period from June through December 2007, the center was paid $1.5 million for its services, according to the

audit.

The state is now attempting to recover $226,000 that may have been paid incorrectly to the center. Foley has turned over his findings to the state attorney general for possible criminal prosecution.

The state’s record for overseeing contracts is dreadful. Unbelievable as it may sound, state government didn’t even know until the end of 2003 how many contracts it had with private companies. When a tracking system finally was put into place, state officials were surprised to learn it had 3,434 contracts worth more than $1 billion.

Four years ago, state officials were embarrassed by the case of convicted felon Rock Mueller, who wrangled himself into a salaried position in the Department of Health and Human Services. From this perch, he oversaw the state’s contract with a private company that paid Mueller $78,000.

Taxpayers have a right to expect that state officials would have learned more from that incident.

The problems at the Autism Center came to light because of a tip from a former center employee. That prompted Health and Human Services officials to ask Foley to conduct an audit.

State officials should not have to depend on former employees to point out misspending.

The need for better oversight is particularly crucial because the state is moving toward more community-based programs for serving mentally disabled Nebraskans. Hundreds of clients are moving from the Beatrice State Developmental Center to community programs.

Fortunately, the Autism Center’s 52 clients were safe and well-cared for, according to John Wyvill, director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities.

But it’s galling that money was being wasted at the Autism Center while the state continues to put disabled clients on a waiting list for services. The state’s sloppy oversight puts vulnerable Nebraskans at risk.