Disaster Costs Overstated

Spokane County must return $365,000 to a federal agency and $61,000 to the state because it claimed too many disaster-related expenses.

In the biggest of three discrepancies uncovered during a state audit, the county Engineering Department asked the governments to reimburse $546,000 for equipment it rented during the 1996 ice storm and flooding in preceding months. The actual expense was $164,000.

When a disaster is declared, the Federal Emergency Management Agency covers 75 percent of such expenses. The state pays the other 25 percent.

Heather Brown, financial manager for the county Public Works Department, said the error stemmed from a computer glitch when information was shifted from one database to another. It was missed by county officials who reviewed the claim, as well as by FEMA auditors, she said.

In another case, state auditors found, the engineer’s officer claimed $18,000 more than the actual cost for chippers rented to clean up limbs that fell during the ice storm. That error stemmed from inaccurate estimates of the cost, the auditor found.

In a third case, the county claimed about $23,000 more than the actual cost for using its equipment because it added in a 15 percent replacement cost. Such additions aren’t allowed, the auditor wrote.

Public Works director Dennis Scott said the money will be repaid from his department’s budget.