There were several findings concerning federal funds in the 2020 financial audit of Uintah County performed by the Utah Office of the State Auditor that was publicly released last week. A topic in the findings that has been of some public focus is Uintah County’s use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Monies. Finding #5 and #11 are titled ‘Improper Spending of Coronavirus Relief Fund Monies’ and can be found on page 107 and 108 of the audit document. According to the audit, Uintah County failed to demonstrate how the funds used for Small Business Economic Recovery Grants and the Buckskin Hills Ski and Snow Tubing Hill were necessary and incurred as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While using the $3.5 million dollars distributed to small businesses was allowed, the issue was a matter of paper work in that Uintah County allegedly “did not maintain documentation that validated the pandemic’s impact on applicants.” It was also noted that $117,000 dollars were distributed to companies owned by certain County officials and their immediate family members, something that should have been disclosed in the federal documentation. Likewise, with the ski and snow hill, the audit notes that Uintah County allegedly did not maintain the required documentation for the equipment purchases and that adequate documentation was not maintained to show how funds were spent in response to the pandemic. The audit emphasized that these expenditures did not comply with federal program requirements and may be subject to repayment. The response from the Uintah County Commission can be found on page 121 and 122 of the audit in which Uintah County outright disagrees with the audit’s findings, stating that it contains “errors and misinformation” and they suggest that the Auditor’s Office failed to verify the information presented. Referencing transcripts of Commission meetings, Uintah County emphasizes that a very open process was followed in the decision to enhance outdoor recreation with the snow hill. Uintah County also emphasizes that the cities and county followed an in-depth 4-step process in awarding the small business grants. Link to the full audit and related news stories on BasinNow.com.
Official Audit: https://reporting.auditor.
BasinNow Audit Story 1: https://basinnow.com/article.
BasinNow Audit Story 2: https://basinnow.com/article.
