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Johnson's Costs Can't Be Verified

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By MIKE SALINERO

msalinero@tampatrib.com

Published: January 6, 2009

TAMPA - An audit of Hillsborough Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson's office was able to verify just $336,000 of the $2.34 million Johnson told county commissioners he needed last month to cover cost overruns.

The audit, released Monday, raised almost as many questions as it answered because of sloppy bookkeeping and the elections staff's reluctance to cooperate with Daniel A. Pohto, the county audit director. Pohto could not determine how much was spent on a building rental, ballot boxes and voting machines.

"I think it was not laid out in clear fashion where he could understand what was there," said Circuit Court Clerk Pat Frank, Pohto's boss. "If you don't open the books and don't explain how you got to where you are, it's hard to understand. The information was not complete."

Johnson did not return a message left on his cell phone.

Among the audit's findings:

•Johnson spent $336,000 on overtime for elections workers in fiscal 2009 after having budgeted just $32,000.

•Pohto could not determine whether $17,000 in ballot box costs in Johnson's budget supplement request had been spent yet.

•The auditor was confused about whether $100,000 Johnson included in his supplemental budget request last month called "building rental" was in addition to money he budgeted in fiscal 2008 for "capital (building/facility improvements)" and "other rentals & leases."

•The county commission gave Johnson $5.37 million for new voting machines in fiscal 2008, which ended Oct. 1. Johnson apparently spent the money and did not have enough to cover the third payment on the machines totaling $1.72 million.

"He was appropriated money for the entire contract, but he doesn't have the money in the budget now because he spent it on other things," Frank said.

The audit was given to commissioners and incoming Elections Supervisor Phyllis Busansky on Monday afternoon. Busansky said she had not had time to study the document sufficiently to comment.

The audit, released Monday on Johnson's last day in office, punctuates his tumultuous six-year tenure. During that time, the elections office has been plagued by election night foul-ups that often delayed returns. Hillsborough was one of the last counties in the state to complete tabulation of the Nov. 4 returns.

In 2008, Johnson rejected the longtime practice of letting Frank's office handle payroll, billing and other financial responsibilities for the elections supervisor. When questioned about the move, Johnson said it was important to maintain his office's "independence."

Johnson stunned commissioners and County Administrator Pat Bean in December with his $2.3 million budget amendment request.

He attributed the overrun to unforeseen election costs and the cost of changing from touch-screen voting machines to optical scan machines for Novembe'sr election.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303

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