The Comptroller of Puerto Rico issued a qualified opinion on the contracting of architecture services for a construction project in Hormigueros. A qualified opinion is issued when the instances of noncompliance, individually or in the aggregate, are significant but not pervasive.
The Report reveals that, contrary to the applicable law and regulations, the Municipality paid $28,885, in addition to the $23,000 it had already disbursed, for a contract of professional architecture services.
The Municipality of Hormigueros interpreted that the fourth clause of the contract for the architecture services allowed the Corporation to bill and collect additional fees solely because the construction projects increase in cost and without the need to have made additional changes, alterations or amendments to the original design plans.
The estimate of the original cost of the construction project of the Multi-Use Center of the Hoya Grande sector of the Guanajibo ward was $200,000 and it was finally awarded for $549,028. The increase in the cost of the project led the Municipality to make two amendments to retroactively activate the fourth clause: one for $20,286 to an expired contract and another for $8,599 to a current contract.
These situations were referred to the Secretary of Justice, to the executive director of the Office of Government Ethics of Puerto Rico, and to the president of the Association of Architects and Landscape Architects of Puerto Rico on May 22, 2018.
The Report recommends to the Mayor that he ensure that the contracts contain a clause establishing that payments may not be made for work not performed.
This is the third and final report of Hormigueros and covers the period from July 1, 2011 to December 31, 2014.
See Audit Report M-19-15.
To see other published reports, visit our Audit Reports section.
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