3-Year Housing Cost for County Nearly $1 Million

OROVILLE (E-R) >> The cost of housing provided by the Butte County Housing Authority for 1970 to 1972 totaled nearly $1 million, according to an audit federal officials want kept confidential.

According to county Auditor William Lawrence, there were no serious discrepancies in the audit performed by the firm of Matson and Isom Accountancy Corp. of Chico and what irregularities were noted are being corrected.

In a report to the Board of Supervisors, however, Lawrence recommended that annual audits be made of the housing authority and also that the information developed be available to the public.

L. G. Melton, executive director of the housing authority, was advised in a letter last month from Keith Axtell, director of the housing programs management branch of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development that the information be given only to persons with an initial interest in the matter or who must act on it.

The HUD official stated the audit was found to be satisfactory.

Lawrence took issue with Axtell on the confidentiality issue.

He said both the budget of the housing authority and the audit should be public information “in the same manner as the county governmental activities.

“That's an awful lot of money to handle and keep secret,” Lawrence said. “I know of no provision of law requiring secrecy. I feel the other way. Audit information of public agencies should be made public.” …

The audit showed tha the three-year cost of housing administered by the authority, comprising owned housing and leased housing subsidized by HUD, totaled $958,367. Owned housing cost the authority $180,293 and leased housing $778,074.

The audit indicated the net public cost increased for the three years from $188,443 in 1980 to $312,722 in 1971 and $475,202 for 1972. The costs are offset by rents.

— Enterprise-Record,

March 7, 1974