SALEM COUNTY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A New Jersey state senator wants the attorney general to look deeper into the finances of the Salem City School District, after a recent audit uncovered some potentially wasteful spending there.
Sen. Declan O'Scanlan, a Republican member of the budget committee in Trenton, highlighted several budget items in the report from the state auditor, including a $75,000 bill for unnecessary international travel and more than $100,000 spent on college expenses for former students.
"This flagrant waste on frivolous crap should never happen," O'Scanlan said.
He says Salem school officials should answer for these expenditures as well as several other problems, including apparent failures to meet state guidelines on procurement and the alleged awarding of contracts without proper bidding documentation.
"The bidding rules are pretty straightforward," O'Scanlon said. "You know the threshold, you know when you have to bid. How are these entities simply ignoring these things? And are they doing it for nefarious purposes? Are they just lazy? Are they incompetent? We need to dig more and find out."
O'Scanlan says audits like these are extremely important, and there is just not enough transparency with school budgets and municipal budgets all over the state. He wants the office of the state auditor to expand the scope of investigations to ensure taxpayers aren't being ripped off by corrupt or inept local governments.
"We need more oversight, overall, of local government across the board," he said.
"We probably need to do some more shaming of these professionals, or what should be professionals, for falling down on the job."
KYW Newsradio has contacted the Salem Schools superintendent for comment.
