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Galloway releases audit of St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE); report gives rating of ‘fair’

Audit makes recommendations for improvements to payroll procedures and timely payment of expenses

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Auditor Nicole Galloway released an audit of the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) as part of the ongoing comprehensive audit of the City of St. Louis. The SLATEoffers job seekers and businesses a variety of services related to employment, job training, and career advancement. The report, which gave a rating of “fair,” made recommendations for better review of payroll documentation and more timely payment of expenditures.

“We found SLATE was not properly overseeing timesheets turned in by contracted employees and, as a result, could not ensure the disbursements they were issuing were accurate or appropriate,” Auditor Galloway said. “Workforce development programs fulfill an important need in our communities, which is why it is crucial that they be managed effectively to make every dollar count.”

The audit found timesheets submitted to the SLATE for employees working for contracted vendors were missing employee or supervisor signatures, as well as other discrepancies. There was no documentation that the SLATE notified the vendors the documentation was insufficient, and all payroll was reimbursed. The audit recommended that the SLATE ensure all contracted employee payroll documentation is complete and accurate prior to reimbursement.

The audit also found the SLATE did not always prepare vouchers for payment of expenses in a timely manner or perform a required annual physical inventory of capital assets. The report also detailed how the program overstated the number of clients placed for employment in its annual report and did not correct the report after the error was identified. Recommendations included ensuring timely preparation of disbursement vouchers, completion of annual capital asset inventories and an adequate review of published data.

In 2018, Auditor Galloway accepted the request by the Board of Aldermen to complete a comprehensive, independent audit of the City of St. Louis. That request came after a group of St. Louis residents initiated a petition drive to require an audit of the city.  For more information on the ongoing audit of the city, visit auditor.mo.gov/STLAudit.

The complete audit can be found here.