Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany Comptroller: We work to be good stewards of taxpayer money

This is the 16th installment of an occasional series highlighting the individuals and entities aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany.

MCLB-ALBANY — Millions of dollars a year go through Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany in order for base personnel to follow through on its mission. Someone has to do the job of making sure that money is utilized the way it was intended.

That person is Phillip Millerd, the base’s comptroller.

Millerd’s job is to act as a financial advisor and make sure regulations consistent with fiscal law are followed. His department is responsible for the base’s budget and the accounting of government funds associated with the budget.

Millerd’s oversight reaches specific programs, such as the travel card program. If an employee has to travel as part of his or her duties, the comptroller makes sure that individual gets paid. Millerd’s office must also oversee payroll to make sure employees are being paid on time while tracking changes in pay.

“We are monitoring time, ensuring time is certified and pay is processed correctly,” the base comptroller said.

Millerd’s department also conducts resource evaluation and analysis, which involves auditing various accounts and fiscal assistance with transactions.

When Congress passes legislation impacting funding and it is signed into law by the sitting president, the U.S. Treasury sends it to the respective agencies in the appropriate amounts. Any spending in the government has to consider purpose, time and amount. These three components are the basic applications the comptroller needs to consider while ensuring the operations at MCLB-Albany remain functional, everything down to power supply and refuse.

Basically, Millerd said, his job is a lot like running a city, including providing support to tenant commands such as Marine Corps Logistics Command.

“That is the essence of what we do,” Millerd said. “Our responsibility is to try to be efficient and effective with the use of the money based on those three principals (purpose, time and amount). We ensure the taxpayer money is used wisely.”

Staff members at the comptroller’s office have a specific focus they are responsible for, and they undergo extensive training, Millerd said.

But there are certain situations involving money that cannot be planned for. For instance, when a Jan. 22 tornado caused more than $100 million in damage to MCLB-Albany’s industrial sector, Millerd’s staff had the task of finding ways to offset the financial burden.

“We can pursue avenues to get additional money necessary,” he said.

Millerd said the base alone, not including the tenant commands, needs $40-45 million on an average year. The installation and tenant economic impact of $1.5 billion in Fiscal Year 2015 included $237.57 million for civilian pay, $23.18 million for active military pay and $76.88 million in supplies and equipment.

For the urgent needs, or if more is needed for a requirement to be met, Millerd’s office works with officials at Marine Corps Installations East, of which the Albany base is one of six subordinate commands, to see to it that those needs can be met.

In order to determine if regular needs are satisfied, the comptroller stays in contact with MCLB’s individual divisions.

“We work with all major divisions on a regular basis to ensure their needs are met and advise on legal aspects with spending those dollars,” Millerd said.

Millerd’s office tracks transactions for the long-term to make sure everything remains as it is supposed to, and the office is inspected and audited on those records. The office also keeps a history of employment, so records are correct when it comes time for an individual to retire.

The government values the concept of a client clean audit, so proper documentation for transactions are maintained “from cradle to grave.” For instance, if an office at MCLB requires a new desk, the comptroller ensures payment to the vendor, tracks the receipt and ensures payment is correct.

“If it is not correct, we fix it to get them proper payment,” Millerd said.

The employees in Millerd’s office are certified on three levels, qualifying them to handle a particular task or function they are responsible for. The level of experience in that department ranges from new to 35 years who — among other things — are daily checking to make sure employee payroll records are well-maintained, travel orders are in the system and approved, checking accuracy of source documents, checking for errors in transaction reports, and looking at funding reports and financial needs.

“We have a wide range of employees with all kinds of different experiences,” he said.

Millerd compared his department’s function to caring for a lawn. It cannot look or function well if it is not managed right. The same is true for MCLB-Albany because it cannot carry out its mission if there is nobody to make sure the lights stay on.

“If we don’t maintain those funds, there will be gaps that are not covered,” he said. “When we look outside the gate, the focus is on sales and revenue. (Here) we focus on getting under budget. If we are wasteful, it hurts someone else who needs more. It is important to be effective and efficient with the money (we have).”

Going forward, Millerd said he expects the accounting and financial world will not significantly change. The biggest changes to impact his office will come in the form of fiscal law, which compels periodic changes in his office depending on the specifics of the law.

“That is the importance of continuing education in this office,” he said.

Following fiscal law means enforcing accountability for allocated funds to be spent correctly and that an individual or department spends dollars for the time and purpose it is intended.

The job is ultimately about being a good steward of funds, which is a strong principle to apply to a person’s personal pocketbook.

“It clearly states in fiscal law what we can or cannot do,” Millerd said. “I am the watchdog over the money, making sure people are doing the right thing with the money (and that practices) don’t hurt anyone else.

“If we rob Peter to pay Paul, Peter’s mission has been hurt.”

Jennifer Parks