Auditors Question Viability Of Hammond Group

HAMMOND, La. (AP) — Auditors are questioning the financial stability of a Hammond youth and family services organization after the organization lost out on hundreds of thousands of dollars the past three years because of canceled state contracts.

But the executive director of the New Horizon Youth Service Bureau, Elizabeth Sawyer, tells The Advocate the organization is just as viable as ever, even without the money.

An audit released Monday by the state Legislative Auditor's Office says the youth services organization took in about $586,000 in revenue in the 2012-13 fiscal year, more than $515,000 of which was from government grants and contracts, while spending about $617,000, mostly on its therapy services.

Sawyer said her organization still has enough money to pay the bills.