Audit shows Guinn overspent $10,000

Thursday, April 13, 2000 | 11:28 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

A legislative audit released Wednesday showed that Gov. Kenny Guinn overspent the $5,000 allowed for new governors in the days before they take office.

The audit shows Guinn spent an extra $10,000, which was taken out of another account.

Victoria Soberinsky, operations manager for the governor's office, told the Legislative Audit Committee, "We definitely exceeded $5,000." She said the staff, before it took office in January, had to rent private office space and pay for telephone lines and fax machines.

She noted the $5,000 was initially set in 1970 and costs have risen. She said Guinn had to pay for some of the costs out of his own pocket.

The Governor's Mansion was also remodeled, but Soberinsky said Guinn's wife, Dema, found that the refrigerator, washer and dryer were not replaced. She purchased new ones at her own expense and recovered the money from state funds.

The audit complained that sales tax of about $500 was charged although the state is exempt from the tax. It suggested that the items could have been acquired at a lower price by going through the state purchasing system.