Lee County Schools accused of misusing your tax dollars... again

Lee County Schools accused of misusing your tax dollars... again

And they are ready to do more.The guys looking for any otherplaces that might need work.THE FLORIDA STATE AUDITOR SAYS,FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWOYEARS, LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS MAYHAVE MISUSED YOUR TAX DOLLARS.A NEW REPORT OUT LAST MONTHSHOWS PROPERTY TAXES WERE USEDTO COVER COSTS THEY WEREN’TSUPPOSED TO.FOX 4 REPORTER ROB MANCH SPOKEWITH THE SCHOOL FINANCEDIRECTOR, AND A COMMUNITYADVOCATE WHO HAS BEEN FIGHTINGBACK AGAINST THIS ISSUE FORYEARS.Between the 2018 audit and theone released just last month,we’re talking about almost 6million dollars in propertytaxes in question here.The schools says most of thatmoney was spent correctly, but acommunity advocate I spoke withtells me, she doesn’t believeit.PKG:Last year, the issue of themisuse of property taxes in Leeschools was taken up by theJoint Legislative AuditCommittee.Some lawmakers were not happywith what they saw.State Rep.

Michael Caruso,(R)89th District:"I just find it almostegregious that you’d get a billin with services rendered, aninterim bill of a half a milliondollars, and we just cut a checkfor half a million dollars, whenwe should see a breakdown of allthe equipment used, all thehours put in."But one parent and advocate,Jacqueline Perez, traveled toTalahassee to make her voiceheard.Jacqueline Perez, Spoke at JLACMeeting:"Some of the bills from thosecompanies, in 2017, for oneday’s work: $124,000, $129,000,$154,000.

There’s one for$169,000.

This was company B,who only has five employees."The issue is property taxes areonly supposed to be used forspecific things.New construction.Maintenance.Renovations.Or repairs to existingfacilities.That’s it.But on this latest audit, itshowed the schools bought newinternet infrastructure withthat money, for 1.4 milliondollars.I caught up with Perez to gether reaction.Jacqueline Perez, Spoke at JLACMeeting: "It should beconcerning to everyone.

I don’thave faith that they areactually doing what they shouldbe doing.

I still don’t."But I also had the chance tospeak with the district, andChief Finance officer AmiDesamours says they are makingchanges.Ami Desamours, Lee SchoolsFinance Director:"We have instituted additionalchecks and balances, soadditional reviews of thosefunds and expenditures withinthose funds quarterly in orderto ensure that we are complyingwith what what the state statutetells us."And Desamours says the FloridaDepartment of Education actuallyagreed that most of the costswere allowable.Ami Desamours, Lee SchoolsFinance Director:"They affirmed or agreed withour appeal on 90 percent of theexpenditures that were inquestion."But Perez still feels thesecosts, and the new ones revealedin this latest audit, aren’tjustified."We need change in leadership.We need someone who will beaccountable.TAAnd for full disclosure, Pereztells me she is a candidate fothe Lee County School Board.