Finance
As budget vote continues, Smotrich 'won't surrender to last minute extortion'
Voting on a controversial update of the national 2024 budget is ongoing despite reports of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s announcing that it would be delayed in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday after a number of coalition members threatened not to vote in favor of the budget if last-minute changes were not implemented.
The first to threaten not to support the budget was Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter (Likud), over a provision to cut an important agricultural research organization, the Volcani Institute, by 25%. Likud MK David Bitan reportedly joined Dichter for the same reason. According to Ynet, a third Likud MK, Amit Halevi, conditioned his vote in favor of the budget on a pledge to pass a bill proposal of his regarding education ministry oversight of schools in east Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Dichter’s demand and pledged to resolve the crisis in the agriculture budget by Passover.
Budget on the line
Likud MK Yuli Edelstein is not present in the Knesset, as he is in mourning over the death of his mother. The budget needs 61 votes to pass, and National Unity’s 12 Knesset members, who joined the coalition after the war broke out on October 7, announced that they will oppose the budget. Therefore, the absence of four MKs from the 64-member pre-war coalition is enough for the budget not to pass.
Voting was supposed to commence at 12:0 p.m. on Wednesday after a conclusion of the marathon debate by Finance Minister Smotrich. However, instead of Smotrich, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi took the dais and spoke for over an hour in an attempt to delay voting.
In the meanwhile, Smotrich gave a statement to the media outside the Knesset plenum.
“We will soon bring to the plenum a good war budget. I have no intention of surrendering to all kinds of special interest extortionists, and the budget will not be opened at the last moment. This is my budgetary responsibility. I call on the prime minister to announce that he too intends not to surrender to political extortion, and bring the budget to a vote as is.”
Finance
Southport takes ‘each day at a time’ as state investigation continues
Southport communities and families continue to seek for recreational activities as state investigators keep probing into the city parks and recreation department.
It’s been more than two weeks since the State Bureau of Investigation began its investigation into Southport’s Parks and Recreation Department and the city remains unsure as to what will happen after the investigation.
Southport Police Chief Todd Coring on March 11 requested the State Bureau of Investigation to assist with investigating a financial discrepancy within the city, SBI Public Information Director Chad Flowers said.
At 4:45 p.m. on March 11, the city of Southport published a news release announcing four unnamed employees from its parks and recreation department were placed on paid administrative leave due to an “appearance of financial irregularities.” The announcement also stated parks and recreation programs and facilities were on shutdown.
The “appearance” of financial irregularities was discovered after a forensic accounting investigation, according to the release.
Though approximately 13 children participated in the parks and recreation programs, Public Information Officer ChyAnn Ketchum said, the community used the facilities for events, activities, sports and classes.
Asked how often the facilities were used by the community, Ketchum was unable to provide a response.
“We are still working on gathering data, so I am not able to provide even an estimate right now,” Ketchum said.
What has happened since the shutdown?
Program Director Maureen “Cookie” Moore resigned March 12, Ketchum confirmed.
The city’s parks and recreation before and after-school programs have been suspended indefinitely and all parks and recreation facilities and buildings remain closed, and events cancelled until further notice.
The city’s community relations department has tried to help by temporarily taking over reservations of the Jaycee Building to honor existing reservations and hosting an Easter egg hunt.
Since the parks and recreation department matter has been turned to the SBI for further review, agents with the SBI’s coastal division are actively working to handle the case, Flowers previously told the StarNews.
What’s next for the case and the city of Southport?
The case remains ongoing and active, Flowers said. No new information is being released at this time.
“Financial crimes cases normally take longer due to the number of documents and records involved,” Flowers said.
When it comes to how the city will move forward after the investigation closes, Ketchum is unsure.
“Because it is still an active investigation, we have to take each day at a time,” Ketchum said.
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Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at stenenoff@usatodayco.com.
Finance
State to appoint fiscal monitor over NOLA-PS, citing ‘significant’ financial management issues
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Louisiana’s Department of Education has informed the Orleans Parish public school district that it will install a monitor to oversee its financial management, citing a pattern of “significant deficiencies” over the past two years.
State superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley delivered the news in a letter sent Friday (March 27) to NOLA-PS superintendent Dr. Fateama Fulmore.
“Due to repeated accounting miscalculations within the Orleans Parish School System (NOLA-PS), schools have faced multiple years of financial uncertainty,” Brumley wrote. “This letter serves as formal notice that, as a result of these errors, the Louisiana Department of Education will appoint a fiscal risk monitor for your school system.
“The purpose of this appointment is to provide enhanced oversight of tax revenue accounting and reporting by NOLA-PS. This will include special engagement conducted by an independent certified public accountant over the next year.”
NOLA-PS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox 8.
Brumley cited a list of alleged “deficiencies” by the New Orleans school district, including:
- Failure to adhere to fundamental accounting principles
- Classification in the LDOE Fiscal Risk Assessment “Monitor” category, reflecting a high level of concern, including designation under a Critical Situation during the fiscal year
- Negative impacts on budgeting decisions for school systems across the state
- Provision of inaccurate financial information to NOLA-PS schools
- Potential violation of state law due to failure to provide accurate financial data to LDOE
The appointed monitor will be tasked with reviewing the financial practices of the district, ensuring it takes corrective measures, and reporting back to the LDOE about changes made and ongoing risks. It is believed to be the first state intervention into the Orleans Parish school system since it was restructured in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Nyesha Veal has served as the chief financial officer for NOLA-PS since 2024. Brumley’s letter did not mention her by name, but alleged a pattern of accounting errors and financial mismanagement over the past two years, including the recent underreporting of approximately $13 million in sales tax revenue in the last annual financial report.
Brumley wrote that the LDOE was notified of this problem by “school leaders,” and that the NOLA-PS CFO was questions about the disparity.
“During that discussion, the CFO acknowledged that the STR data submitted to LDOE was incorrect and had been underreported by approximately $13 million. The CFO further indicated that the omission of June 2025 sales tax revenue from the AFR, as well as the delayed submission of tax data, had no impact.
“This assertion is incorrect. The omission and delay have had material consequences, including impacts on statewide funding calculations and local budget planning. This reflects a concerning lack of understanding regarding the importance of accurate and timely financial reporting by NOLA-PS. … This is not an isolated incident of concern within the financial management of the system that can be overlooked as a simple mistake. Instead, this is a repeated pattern and must be addressed immediately.”
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Finance
Car finance saga: Millions of motorists to find out how they will be compensated
Millions of motorists who were mis-sold a car loan will find out how they will be compensated, as the finance watchdog shares its final plans for an industry-wide scheme.
Final decisions on the long-awaited programme will be published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on Monday afternoon.
The regulator set out draft plans last year but it is likely to make several changes after receiving more than 1,000 responses to its consultation.
Under the latest proposals, the scheme will cover car finance agreements taken out between April 6 2007 and November 1 2024.
The FCA estimated that around 14 million deals, or 44% of all those made since 2007, were unfair and therefore eligible for compensation.
Consumers were estimated to be compensated an average of £700 per agreement, but it will be more or less depending on individual cases.
This was expected to come at a total cost of £11 billion to the industry, including the total payouts and the operational costs of running the scheme.
Craig Tebbutt, a financial health expert for Equifax UK, said: “It has previously been estimated that average compensation levels could be in the region of £700 per agreement but the final details around the scale, scope and timelines are expected to be confirmed on Monday.
“However, there is nothing to stop consumers checking their paperwork now and getting their details ready in the meantime.”
He said research by the credit reporting firm found that “many consumers don’t know how to check their eligibility and expect the process to be a hassle, with old or missing paperwork being a real barrier”.
Equifax has launched a car finance checker within its new app that lets people see a list of their past agreements and copy the details, with motorists encouraged to send a complaint to their lender using a template on the FCA’s website if they think they’re eligible for a payout.
Lenders and car finance providers had been challenging the FCA’s proposals with some raising concerns that the expected amount of compensation is too high and does not accurately reflect what customers lost.
On the other side, some consumer groups and MPs have argued that many motorists will be short-changed under the current plans.
The FCA has already announced some changes that it is making to the process since the proposals were unveiled last year.
This includes giving lenders more time to contact motor finance customers from when the scheme is officially launched.
But it is also aiming to streamline the process by allowing those due redress to accept it immediately without waiting for a final determination.
It thinks that this means million of people would receive compensation in 2026.
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