Lee County Commissioner David Mulicka says there are no safety issues at Southwest Florida International Airport after a county audit raised concerns this week.
“I want to make sure the public understands that this audit from the (Clerk of Courts) should not cause any public alarm,” Mulicka told Fox 4’s Ryan Kruger.
A 31-page audit from the Lee County Clerk’s Office accused staffers with the Lee County Port Authority of “intentionally impeding” a county audit.
Most troubling, auditors said they were unable to form an opinion on whether proper construction safety measures were being followed because they weren't provided access to necessary documentation.
"This refusal to provide records relating to the Terminal Expansion Project is a marked change in the relationship between the Port Authority and the County Auditor. For over 20 years my Office has fulfilled its Constitutional responsibility as the County Auditor for the Lee County Port Authority. The audits we've conducted in that time have resulted in significant cost savings, operational improvements, and even criminal prosecutions for fraud," Lee County Clerk Kevin Karnes said in a letter to Port Authority Commissioners.
But Mulicka says all the documents the auditors were trying to access are available.
“Nobody is impeding or obstructing anything. You’re just asking the wrong person the wrong questions. It’s that simple. I don’t appreciate staff being berating in a letter like that, saying we did something wrong, when it’s clearly not true,” Mulicka said.
Clerk Karnes said the audit’s findings were “mostly positive.”
The Port Authority says they gave auditors all of the information they requested.
