Hawaii's Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) has once again proven its commitment to thorough financial oversight. With meticulous attention to detail, the DAGS Audit Division has reviewed Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) invoices for compliance before releasing the next chunk of taxpayer euros. This quarter, a handsome $112,114,101.63 waits in the wings, but not all will make it to HART's hands without scrutiny. To ensure every dime is spent correctly, auditors painstakingly compare invoices to the Hawaii Revised Statute (HRS) 46-16.8 (f), which governs the use of surcharge revenues for transit projects.
It's a no small task, and to accurately make these comparisons, three auditors are tasked with the job. In fact, the most recent examination unveiled $83,760.86 in administrative costs that didn't comply with the statute. As a measure of due diligence, these funds were promptly deduced from the total reimbursement. Similarly, a different set of invoices, adding up to $1,758,982.91, got the axe because, under an agreement, those costs were supposed to be picked up by the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) instead of HART.
Every quarter, the comptroller issues a certification letter to the State Department of Budget and Finance (B&F) based on the findings by the auditors, giving a green light for reimbursement from the Mass Transit Special Fund. In their latest round, the Certification Letter dated August 5 confirmed that HART could get its financial injection minus the exceptions noted by DAGS, according to a statement obtained by ags.hawaii.gov.
Keith Regan, Comptroller and DAGS Director, emphasized the importance of transparency, saying, “We want the public to know there are checks and balances in place to make sure the state is responsibly spending state taxpayer dollars.” DAGS doesn't take its responsibility lightly, having reviewed approximately $2.7 billion in invoices and withheld around $23.3 million in improper costs since January 2018. Ron Shiigi, Audit Division Administrator, highlighted this stewardship, telling ags.hawaii.gov, “We take pride in being able to protect the public’s money.” For those curious about the nitty-gritty details, the Comptroller’s Certification Letters are publicly available on the B&F website, under "Act 1, 2017 Mass Transit Special Fund."
