DuPage housing board should resign

We're not sure which is more egregious — the fact the DuPage Housing Authority squandered more than $5.8 million in federal grant money and failed to adequately document another $4.7 million, or the excuse offered up by the former executive director.

As Daily Herald staff writer Robert Sanchez reported Saturday, John Day told federal auditors that rules governing how the money could be spent were “vague.” And somehow he believed that meant money intended to help low- and moderate-income county residents with housing needs instead could be spent on meals, flowers, clothes and beverages for housing authority staffers.

Another official tried to justify the purchases by saying it “improved employee morale and, therefore, benefited the program.”

The federal audit specifically calls for the repayment of nearly $5.1 million. It follows two other reports from 2009 and 2010 that led DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin to oust Day and led to the retirement of his deputy, Robert Hess. We agree with Cronin when he says “the misuse of public funds is simply inexcusable.”

And we agree with him that further action is warranted. “I will act swiftly to hold folks accountable for the violation of trust and blatant disregard for tax dollars.”

We believe that means Cronin needs to do even more house cleaning at the authority. While there are no accusations of theft or fraud at the housing authority, the clear lack of oversight means the housing authority board was asleep at the switch, allowing Day to do what he pleased.

Among the “unallowable” transactions, Christmas gifts and laptop computers were bought for board members.

“We were told that we had nonfederal dollars to pay for those things,” said Pam Fenner, the board's vice chairman. “We would have never authorized that out of federal funds.”

And yet that's what happened. While Fenner and the other board members are no doubt well-meaning folks who want to serve the county, Cronin must take action to prove to the public that he is serious about stronger oversight.

The auditors partly blamed the authority board for what happened, urging “administrative action” be taken. What that means is unclear, but what they said is not: “The authority's board of commissioners did not adequately exercise its responsibility to oversee the administration of the authority's programs.”

“I don't know if anyone sitting on that board had the knowledge to have stopped this,” Fenner said. We think that reflects poorly on her and the board.

Fenner told Sanchez she would resign if Cronin asked her and the other five members. We think he should do just that.