SMILE Community Action Agency is being told to clean up its act.

A recent audit noted inadequate supervision, miscalculations and questionable paid employee leave.

The required legislative audit report covers the time frame when former CEO Chris Williams was in charge.

Current SMILE CEO Craig Mathews says when hired he knew the agency was in administrative turmoil. “We’re going to be responsive to our audit report and do what’s necessary to ensure these deficiencies don’t occur again.”

The audit shows three testing applications for energy assistance with miscalculated income qualifications.

Mathews says such a miscarriage could lead to the agency not being reimbursed for payments already made. “If the window of time has already lapsed where we can go and correct it and resubmit for approval that means SMILE would have to eat that cost.  That has happened on a few occasions.”

Mathews says corrective action includes staff being properly trained in the application completion process with supervision. “Reinforcement of the policies and procedures so that individuals understand what their job duties are.”

Mathews reads what he calls the most significant statement; the auditor’s opinion. “In our opinion financial statements referred to above present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the St. Martin, Iberia, Lafayette Community Action Agency, Inc. as of May 31, 2018…”

The audit also acknowledges SMILE received $1 million dollar community block grant renewal.

Mathews says there was some uncertainty about getting the grant because of the abrupt changes SMILE was going through at the time.

“We put corrective action in place and we begun training staff on how to avoid these reoccurring deficiencies moving forward.  We are going to move forward and ahead.”