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The Arts Council did not
draft or adopt formal agency rules
The Illinois Arts
Council will seek the guidance of the appropriate entities in addressing this
finding
Grant compliance audits
were not performed during FY 2007
1,659 grants were
awarded in FY 2007 totaling
$18,123,413
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FINDINGS,
CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FAILURE TO ADOPT FORMAL AGENCY RULES
The
Illinois Arts Council did not draft or adopt formal agency rules.
The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act
(5 ILCS 100/5 et seq.) states that each agency shall maintain and file
organizational rules, including a current description of the agency’s
organization, current procedures for information requests, and a current
description of the agency’s rulemaking procedures. (Finding 1, page 10)
We
recommended the Agency draft organizational rules, then contact the Joint
Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) for assistance with the formal
adoption process.
Agency Officials
accepted the finding and recommendation and stated they will seek the
guidance of the appropriate entities in addressing this finding.
LACK OF GRANT COMPLIANCE AUDITS / FAILURE OF
GRANTEES TO SUBMIT FINAL REPORTS
Grant compliance audits were not performed by the
Illinois Arts Council during fiscal year 2007. Additionally, recipients of grant funds did not submit final grant
reports to the Agency within 30 days of the end of the grant program.
The fiscal and grant departments did not perform grant
compliance audits during fiscal year 2007.
Total grants awarded were $18,123,413 (1,659) in fiscal year 2007.
We noted that for 13 of 80 tested
(16%) final grant reports were not submitted to the Agency. These 13 grants were paid from State funds
and totaled $36,720. We also noted 8
of 80 (10%) final grant reports were submitted between one and 289 days
late. These eight grants were paid
from State funds and totaled $46,070.
Agency
officials stated that grant audits were performed during fiscal year 2006;
however, fiscal year 2007 grant audits were not performed because of staff
shortages in their fiscal office.
(Finding 3, page 12)
We recommended the Agency resume performing grant compliance audits
on a timely basis and develop additional policies and procedures to ensure
recipients submit final grant reports.
Agency Officials stated they will perform fiscal year 2007 grant
audits in compliance with their policies and procedures. Also, they will strengthen procedures to
ensure that grant compliance audits are performed on a timely basis. Further
the Agency stated they have initiated steps during the fall of 2007 to
strengthen enforcement of grantees’ submission of final reports.
OTHER FINDING
The
remaining findings dealt with expired terms for Council members and
nominations of board members to the Illinois Summer School for the Arts. We will review progress toward
implementation of all recommendations during the next compliance examination.
__________________________________
WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General
WGH:KMC:drh
SPECIAL ASSISTANT AUDITORS
Our
special assistant auditors on this audit were De Raimo Hillger & Ripp.
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