Improper financial oversight by the St. Tammany Parish libraries in Covington, Louisiana, may lead to bad audit reports and a lower parish bond rating, according to the March 24 New Orleans Times Picayune. The library's board cited the purchase of computer equipment without public bids, an unauthorized payment to legal counsel, and staff use of credit cards for book purchases and supplies.
In a show of support for library director Jan Butler, staff members told the board that it "seems to have moved from a supportive, advisory position to that of an adversarial stance in relation to the library director and others of the administrative staff." Board member Mark Johnson said that the board will take action to ensure better oversight: "We're not becoming adversarial, we're becoming more accountable."
Posted April 6, 1998.