Elections Audit Finds More Questions Than Answers

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 cover cost overruns.

The audit, released Monday, raised almost as many questions as it answered due to sloppy bookkeeping and the reluctance of the elections staff 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 $32,120.

• The county commission gave Johnson $5.37 million for new voting machines in fiscal 2008, which ended Oct. 1. But Johnson apparently spent the money and did have enough to cover the third payment on the machines totaling $1.72 million.

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

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 in his 2008 budget for capital (building/facility improvements) and "other rentals & leases."

The auditors recommended the county release a small part of Johnson's year-end request for a $2.34 million budget supplement.

Johnson lost his re-election bid to Phyllis Busansky and as of Tuesday is no longer elections supervisor.