State audit finds Douglas County Treasurer over, under paid school districts, city by millions

BACK HERE TONIGHT DOUGLAS COUNTY’S TREASURER CLSAL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN MISCALCULATED PAYMENTS A QUOTE A SIMPLE MISTAKE. WELL A STATE AUDIT FOUND OVER A NUNDERPAYMENTS TO METRO SCHOOL DISTRICTS THE CITY OF OMAHA AND ALSO DOUGLAS COUNTY ATTH KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S ALEX MCCLUNA’S LIVE WITH WHAT THIS MEANS FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS ALEX. DAVID IT’S GOING TO AFFECT THEIR STUDENTS AND HAVE SO COUNTY TREASURER JOHN EWING IS MEETING WITH DISTRICTS LIKE RALSTON TODAY TO RESOLVE THOSE PAYMESNT WITH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. WHAT I DOT WAN TO EMPHASIZE FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, IS THATO N MONEY WAS MISSING OR ANY. DEVIANT BEHAVIOR LIKE THAT. JOHN EWING SAYS HIS OFFICE MISINTERPRETED A STATE STATUTE WHEN CALCULATING DISTRIBUTION PAYMENTS LAST YEAR THE LAW REQUIRES THE TREASURER’S OFFICE TO DISPERSE 5% OF THE OHAMA BLPUIC POWER DISTRICTS ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE TO THE COUNTY CITIESND A SCHOOL DISTRICTS. WE DID CORRECT THE DISTRIBUTION FOR 2022. AND BELIEVE THAT WE HEAV THE CORRECT FORMULA NOW AFTER WORKING WITH THE STATE AUDITORS OFCEFI EWING SAYS THE DISTRIBUTION FORMULA WAS THE SAMEOR F 61 YEARS. MEANING DOUGLAS COUNTY TREASURER’S MAY HAVE OVERPAID ENTITIES LIKE OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR SIX DECADES, THAT COULD BE THE CASE OPS THE CITY OF OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY RECEIVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN OVERPAYMENTS ACCORDING TO A SIX-PAGE DOCUMENT FROM THE STATE AUDITOR’S OFFICE. EWING SAYS HE’S MEETING WITH CORN WEST SIDE AND MILRDLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS THIS WEEK ABOUT THE UNDERPAYMENTS. EWING SSAY HE’LL WORK WITH DOUGLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO RESOLVE THE PAYMENTS AND ACCOUNT. HE SPOKESPERSON SAYS A DEPUTY COUNTY ATTORNEY WILL ASSIST THOSE COMMISSIONERS. I’M HIGHLY CONFIDENT. THERE’S NO MONEY MISSING THE LAST TIME STATE AUDITORS RECEIVED CONCERNS FROM THE METRO LED TO SARPY COUNTY REMOVING TREASURER BRIAN ZARUG FOR FOLLOWING THE SAME FORMULA EWING FOLLEDOW THE STARKEY COUNTY ISSUES. HAD A ROREPT THAT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER. I BELIEVE 78 PAGES. SO I DON’T BELIEVE THIS IS APPLES TO APPLES. OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAYS IT WELCOMES. THE AUDITOR’S EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS ARE PAID CORRECTLY. MEANWHILE UNDERPAID DISTRICTS KELI MILLARD ARE REACHING OUT TO THE COUNTY TREASURER’S OFFICE FOR MORE INFO AND WT SIDE SAYS IT’S DETERMINING THE NEXT STEPS TO ENS

A state audit found millions in overpayments and underpayments to Omaha metro school districts, the city of Omaha, and Douglas County itself in 2021, according to a letter released by the Nebraska State Auditor's office.Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing said the distribution process used in 2021 was "incorrect." Ewing said his office followed the same protocol that had been used for the previous 61 years."What we had, in this case, was a situation where for 61 years ... this county treasurer's office, believed that the distribution of the OPPD payment in lieu of taxes should be distributed proportionally," Ewing said at a press conference Tuesday.Ewing also said that no money is missing or "any deviant behavior like that." The audit found Ewing's office miscalculated payments from funds paid by the Omaha Public Power District."This was not an intentional error on our part, this was simply a mistake in interpreting the state statute," Ewing said.The treasurer's office overpaid Omaha Public Schools by $5.6 million, the city of Omaha by $4.4 million and Douglas County by $2.6 million.They underpaid Elkhorn Public Schools by $4.2 million, Ralston Public Schools by $4 million and Westside Community Schools by $3.7 million.According to the letter, the overpayments and underpayments were due to Ewing's office failing to "include the levies of all school districts within the City of Omaha."He added that his office has worked with the state auditor's office to ensure the 2022 distribution process was fixed."We were cooperative with the State Auditor's Office as we always are with any audits that are done on the treasurer's office," Ewing said.Ewing said the county board will look at the process of addressing overpayments as well.Omaha Public Schools issued a statement Tuesday regarding the overpayment: “We welcome the efforts of the Auditor to ensure that, going forward, all political subdivisions are paid correctly. We will review the Auditor’s findings and continue to work with Douglas County to see what the next steps are.”Read the full report from the Nebraska State Auditor's office here

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Neb. —

Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing said the distribution process used in 2021 was "incorrect." Ewing said his office followed the same protocol that had been used for the previous 61 years.

"What we had, in this case, was a situation where for 61 years ... this county treasurer's office, believed that the distribution of the OPPD payment in lieu of taxes should be distributed proportionally," Ewing said at a press conference Tuesday.

Ewing also said that no money is missing or "any deviant behavior like that."

The audit found Ewing's office miscalculated payments from funds paid by the Omaha Public Power District.

"This was not an intentional error on our part, this was simply a mistake in interpreting the state statute," Ewing said.

The treasurer's office overpaid Omaha Public Schools by $5.6 million, the city of Omaha by $4.4 million and Douglas County by $2.6 million.

They underpaid Elkhorn Public Schools by $4.2 million, Ralston Public Schools by $4 million and Westside Community Schools by $3.7 million.

According to the letter, the overpayments and underpayments were due to Ewing's office failing to "include the levies of all school districts within the City of Omaha."

He added that his office has worked with the state auditor's office to ensure the 2022 distribution process was fixed.

"We were cooperative with the State Auditor's Office as we always are with any audits that are done on the treasurer's office," Ewing said.

Ewing said the county board will look at the process of addressing overpayments as well.

Omaha Public Schools issued a statement Tuesday regarding the overpayment: “We welcome the efforts of the Auditor to ensure that, going forward, all political subdivisions are paid correctly. We will review the Auditor’s findings and continue to work with Douglas County to see what the next steps are.”

Read the full report from the Nebraska State Auditor's office here

State audit finds Douglas County Treasurer over, under paid school districts, city by millions

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