by Viktoria Sundqvist CTNewsJunkie
HARTFORD, CT — The Connecticut Military Department, which oversees the state’s Army and Air National Guards, should strengthen its internal controls after overpaying two employees, an audit released Tuesday recommends.
The overpayment was for $1,040, and auditors also found an underpayment of $700 to one employee.
The department, which facilitates public safety during emergencies, also gave out several Military Relief Fund grants without proper documentation, the audit found.
The audit covered fiscal years ending in June 2022 and June 2023 and noted five deficiencies in total, one of which was a repeat issue from prior audits.
State agencies are required to pay out a lump sum for accrued vacation time and sick leave to employees who retire. Union contracts can affect those amounts and who is eligible.
Preparer errors and lack of supervisory oversight caused the inaccurate separation payouts, officials noted in the audit.
In its response, the department said it initiated recovery of the erroneously paid earnings and has engaged a retirement unit for assistance going forward.
“We are committed to strengthening our internal controls to prevent future discrepancies,” the department said in its response.
Grants from the Military Relief Fund are given to eligible members of the armed forces or their immediate family, under state statute.
“These grants are for essential personal or household goods or services in the state in cases in which these payments would be a hardship because of the eligible members’ military service,” the audit notes.
Applications must be acted on within 7 days, and each applicant must provide proof of hardship. When auditors reviewed the grand practices, they found that three applications during the audited period were approved up to 113 days late and did not contain proper supporting documents. Auditors also noted missing meeting minutes and missing funding award letters.
The department said it would strengthen its internal procedures going forward to ensure applications are complete before processing begins and that applications are processed in a timely manner.
The department, which has been overseen by Major General Francis J. Evon since 2018 by appointment of the governor, is headquartered in the William A. O’Neill Armory in Hartford. It oversees 64 units and 14 readiness centers, in addition to maintenance and training facilities across Connecticut. It also oversees the Connecticut State Guard and the Governor’s Foot and Horse Guards. Much of its funding comes from federal grants from the Department of Defense.