State auditors defend youth services audit

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- State auditors faced skeptical questions from lawmakers over a report highly critical of the Office of Juvenile Affairs and youth services agencies.<br/><br/>Oklahoma City state Senator

Thursday, April 21st 2005, 5:52 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- State auditors faced skeptical questions from lawmakers over a report highly critical of the Office of Juvenile Affairs and youth services agencies.

Oklahoma City state Senator Bernest Cain said Wednesday that a joint House-Committee he chairs with Tulsa state Representative Ron Peters intends to address the problems raised in a report from the Office of Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan.

Cain says auditors found a lack of accountability in expending taxpayer funds by private, nonprofit agencies reporting to the OJA.

But Moore state Representative Randy Terrill says the audit raised some legitimate questions, but he believes inferences that taxpayer money was being wasted appeared to be overblown.

Terrill was critical because auditors looked at a program administered by an agency in his district -- Crossroads Youth and Family Services -- and found nothing wrong but didn't include that in the audit report.

Auditor Tom Doughty said only areas where problems are found are included in the report.