DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The State’s Chief Financial Officer answered our questions about the upcoming audit of the city of Daytona Beach.
It’s in direct response to Channel 9’s investigation into the city’s finances.
Friday, Channel 9 was the first to tell to report that state auditors would start working at City Hall in early March.
Wednesday morning, Channel 9 got an email saying a team of auditors would meet with city staff at 9 a.m.
Channel 9 has been working on the investigation since November.
We asked the state’s CFO about possible involvement from his office while he was in town for an unrelated news conference.
Demie asking: Daytona Beach is just weeks away from a state audit. Do you have any message to the city?
Blaise Ingoglia: Who is doing the audit?
Demie: The Auditor General’s office.
Blaise Ingoglia: First of all, if the Auditor General’s Office is doing an audit, we wouldn’t be involved, but I think we’d want to see what’s in that audit. I think it would be very telling. Now, do I think anything is done nefariously with some of these locals, I don’t know, but I will tell you this, I don’t care if it’s state government, I don’t care if it’s local government. If you’re going to steal taxpayer dollars your a** is going to jail.
Minutes after Ingoglia answered our question, he told Channel 9 that State Senator Tom Wright had briefed him on what 9 Investigates has uncovered in Daytona Beach.
Channel 9 got an email that confirms the auditors were meeting with the city on Wednesday morning.
Ingoglia said he had no part in that meeting but looks forward to seeing the team’s findings.
The letter outlines the state’s expectations of the city during the audit process and asks the mayor to sign off on giving auditors full access to all city records and computer systems.
Channel 9 knows the Auditor General’s Office will be working in City Hall by early March.
We will keep you updated on every development in this investigation.
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