BARTOW, Fla. (Nov. 21, 2019) – The State of Florida Auditor General issued a report with no findings on Florida Department of Citrus contract procurement and management processes following a recent audit of the Department’s operations. This is the second consecutive time the state has had no findings to report on the Department.
“I am proud of the work the FDOC staff does and their commitment to being good stewards of the budget,” said Ned Hancock, chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the Florida Department of Citrus. “This report just reaffirms what we already know: our staff consistently outperforms and overachieves in all we ask of them.”
The most recent audit, which covered the period of May 2017 to February 2019, reviewed nine contracts and 17 purchase orders totaling $10,072,848, for marketing and market research, scientific research, and various advertising, promotional, and public relations services. The objective of the audit was to evaluate management’s performance in establishing and maintaining internal controls, including those designed to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse.
The State Auditor General performs these audits every three years with each one typically taking four to six months to complete. The last audit was conducted in 2016 and had no findings.
About the Florida Department of Citrus
The Florida Department of Citrus is an executive agency of Florida government charged with the marketing, research and regulation of the Florida citrus industry. Its activities are funded by a tax paid by growers on each box of citrus that moves through commercial channels. The industry employs 50,000 people, provides an annual economic impact of $7.2 billion to the state, and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues that help support Florida’s schools, roads and health care services. For more information about the Florida Department of Citrus, please visit FloridaCitrus.org.
