ELIZABETH—Union County Manager Alfred Faella today announced the County will implement a number of fiscal recommendations made by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office in time for this year’s Union County Fair featuring MusicFest.
Faella made the announcement with the support of the Freeholder Board, and through Finance Director Bibi Taylor, who has outlined a comprehensive list of corrective actions in nine areas pertaining to the Prosecutor’s report. The Finance Director will maintain a trailer onsite during the event to ensure compliance. The Union County Fair featuring MusicFest begins on Wednesday at Oak Ridge Park in Clark.
Some of the major areas covered in the corrective action plan put forth by Finance Director Taylor include:
• Requesting the event promoter and organizer, This Is It Productions, provide Union County a refund for $24,281.68 from parking funds, plus a remittance of all revenues collected to date on behalf of the County for 2011.
• The County has adopted a parking plan inclusive of the issuance of pre-numbered parking tickets for paying customers, and has designated staff to work independently of This Is It’s oversight of parking operations to ensure quality control and compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
• Requesting the Union County Performing Arts Center retain a separate account for a balance of $115,452.14, and only expenditures related to the 2011 County Fair featuring MusicFest should be paid out of this account.
• The implementation of cash handling protocols as recommended by the Prosecutor with regard to change funds, cash registers, money bags, cash tally sheets, deposit slips, deposits, supplies, and non-profits for the event.
• The Office of County Counsel shall, in accordance with law and on a case by case basis, review and make recommendations relative to supplying employees or any other service for or conducting business on behalf of any charitable organization.
• The implementation of procedures for selling recommended by the Prosecutor’s Office for Kids Kingdom, amusement rides, artist merchandise, County merchandise and parking.
• All vendors, including the Union County Performing Arts Center, will provide the County with a complete accounting of all expenses and receipts incurred and realized, and must provide proof that any expense contained in invoices, in excess of a budgeted amount, were not reasonably anticipated.
“We have reviewed the Prosecutor’s report thoroughly, and have worked expeditiously to implement new fiscal procedures in time for this week’s event,” Faella said. “We want to assure a smooth flow of our fiscal operations and accountability for all monies collected and expended throughout the event.”
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