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Mayor Calls For Refund Back Into Water, Sewer Funds - San Diego News Story - KGTV'... Pagel of 3 San Diego News Ya,f4gw Pam€ ttirkle9t,fiuiBpsses Mayor Calls For Refund Back Into Search _ Water, Sewer Funds T : Audit pound Sloppy Bookkeeping, inappropriate fir= Charges KSrED 3r:`..:. . -, 2, , .,G C:PDA rE,G :7, _ 7.: ...; { IDNews Jnw . $280,000 for construction of a day -care facility playground, $238,475 for costs horse by the city's equal opportunity contracting program and $79,629 for lobbying contract expenses. SAN DIEGO — Prompted by an audit that accused the - -- - city of sloppy bookkeeping, Mayor Jerry Sanders on program, according to the audit. Monday suggested the City Council refund more than $1 million to San Diego's ratepayer- supported water and The grand jury called the city's practice of artificially inflating water and wastewater costs to subsidize wastewater funds. the general fund for projects unrelated to water and sewer system a "hidden tax" on ratepayers. coay Tomorrow V' - cI Mayer Hoffman McCann looked into the use of increased revenues generated by water rate increases The company Mayer Hoffman McCann was retained to review financial transactions within the city's water and wastewater funds after a grand jury report questioned the -- r city's use of inter - departmental contracts, known as service level agreements. Shdrr, Get breaking news and daily headlines. Enter E -MaD Address so BMIT Hrow all. c-man neFtSletC rs MOST POPULAR STORIES Exchange Student Says Host Father Sexually Assaulted Her Cain Loses Endorsement in New Hampshire NJ Man Accused In Daughter's Death Arrested In San Diego Brother, Sister Of Stain Carlsbad Woman Speak Out Boy Shaken As Infant Dies At 5; Death Ruled Homicide Strongest Windstorm Since 2007 To Batter County Soo -Foot Sculpture Proposed For Navy Pier Man Who Died In Crash Near CheckpointlD'd Stern Cell Research Facility Opens In La Jolla Man Who Brought Weapons To Midway Museum Sentenced » More Most Popular "I am pleased to announce that the auditors did not find any evidence of abuse of ratepayer funds or misuse ofbond proceeds," Sanders said. "What the audits did find is sloppy bookkeeping and potentially inappropriate charges by the water and wastewater funds totaling $1 million." The city should return $644,206 to the Water Department's enterprise fund, and $428,692 to a similar account of the Wastewater Department, Sanders said. The grand jury was critical of the city for using water and sewer funds to subsidize the general fund through the use of service level agreements. A 2004 l ONews investigation revealed how service level agreements were used to siphon off money from the water and sewer funds for use at city ha1L " tea. rte dc t'� I I a t, LOVE " e ro.aaw�cw me `�+� S� S'7AING t orr ac-w Millions of dollars that should have been used to pay for sewer and water system upgrades instead bought boats and popcorn machines. The city charter mandates that fee - supported Water Department and Metropolitan Wastewater Department enterprise funds can only be used to enhance, maintain and improve the water and sewer systems. Sanders said he convened a task force to further review the city's use of service level agreements and possibly eliminate the practice. The agreements questioned by the grand jury have already been stopped, he said. .Y d Among the money transfers from the Water Department to the general fund found in the audit were $280,000 for construction of a day -care facility playground, $238,475 for costs horse by the city's equal opportunity contracting program and $79,629 for lobbying contract expenses. Another $254,302 came from the Wastewater Department to support the equal opportunity contracting program, according to the audit. EVENTS NEAR YOU The grand jury called the city's practice of artificially inflating water and wastewater costs to subsidize the general fund for projects unrelated to water and sewer system a "hidden tax" on ratepayers. coay Tomorrow V' - cI Mayer Hoffman McCann looked into the use of increased revenues generated by water rate increases All That Glitters:, The Splendor and... hq: / /www.10news.com/news /9642387 /detail.html 2-3 11 /30 /2011 Related To Story