Utah County commissioners asked the committee earlier this year to direct the Office of the Legislative Auditor General to audit MAG for what they alleged was an inappropriate use of federal funds to purchase the Orem office.
But after reviewing the issue for several months, state auditors this week delivered a pre-audit report to the Legislative Audit Subcommittee in which they deemed the audit unnecessary.
"We're just glad that they came to the obvious conclusion, which was that we didn't do anything wrong," MAG Deputy Director Andrew Jackson said Friday.
"We felt all along that there wouldn't be any problems."
The report indicated MAG met requirements to use the Community Development Block Grant money and that the agency's governing board followed the correct approval process.
"Further audit work would not likely be beneficial," the auditors stated in the report.
Even so, the report does not preclude Utah County from pursuing its own audit of MAG - something Commissioner Jerry Grover said is still a possibility. He added Utah County officials are not attacking MAG or playing politics but simply see something amiss that needs to be checked.
"The bottom line is that federal law says you cannot use these funds for general office buildings," he said. "As an elected official, if I'm aware of things contrary to law, I'm supposed to take care of it if it falls under my responsibility or forward it to the appropriate officials."
MAG is a regional agency for member municipalities and counties in Utah, Summit and Wasatch counties and operates as a regional transportation planner while providing services to the elderly and low- and moderate-income population.
Utah County and MAG have sparred since February, when commissioners voted to pull out of the organization. The commissioners then petitioned the state to take over MAG-run services for Meals on Wheels and other programs for senior citizens, saying the county could do a better job.
State aging-services directors, however, recently rejected Utah County's application and awarded the 2005-06 contract to MAG. Grover said the county filed an appeal last week.
For now, MAG leaders will not only hold on to aging services, but also won't have to worry about a lengthy audit.
"We are happy to have the report completed and look forward to MAG continuing to serve the citizens of 33 cities and towns and three counties," said Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn, who doubles as MAG's regional planning chairman.
thollingshead@sltrib.com
