A state audit of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission has uncovered more than $20,000 in food expenses and employee perks it labeled “extravagant,” and “questionable” from summer 2016 to this year.
The commission, which oversees river water quality in multiple states, cooperated with the audit and said it’s making changes.
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said Thursday that his office found the Susquehanna commission spent over $16,000 on food and other meeting-related expenses, and it couldn’t find itemized receipts for about $14,000 of that.
He also found about 14 thousand in costs related to employee perks, which he called “questionable.”
“These panels are not private businesses,” he said. “They are governmental bodies that must be accountable for every last penny they spend.”
In a statement, the commission said it agreed with most of the audit and is already working to better manage expenditures.
The audit also found $472 in un-itemized restaurant receipts from the Delaware River Basin Commission. It too released a statement saying it’ll look for ways to work more efficiently.
DePasquale noted, most of the two commissions’ member states—including Pennsylvania—aren’t making the financial contributions they agreed to.
He recommended the groups overhaul their agreements with the commonwealth.
