You'd think that an organization that handles technology, accounting and keeping track of payment information for others would know better. But news reports on the financial troubles plaguing a technology nonprofit funded by Twin Cities-area school districts have revealed another unsettling case of poor oversight of public dollars.

An independent audit of Technology and Informational Educational Services (TIES) showed lax bookkeeping and accounting, as well as questionable employment practices. The financial problems are similar to those recently uncovered at Community Action Program of Minneapolis. That agency provided services to the poor, but was shut down recently amid findings of financial mismanagement.

TIES is a collaborative of 49 mostly metro-area school districts that was created in 1967 to provide technology services to its members. Over the years, it grew from a small operation to one that now has more than 100 employees and a $32 million annual budget. It provides technology services that include payroll operations, lunch and other fee-collection services, and teacher training.

Member districts pay annual fees to support TIES. Its board is made up of representatives from the districts — either school board members or district administrators. By most accounts, members have been pleased with the services over the years.

But a recent audit covering the period from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2014, documented an accounting mess. The review found that TIES often failed to charge rental fees to use space in its event center; ran deficits that led to reliance on expensive bank loans to cover losses; paid $47,808 to a telephone company whose services it had stopped using; used questionable pay practices for State Fair parking; and accepted gift cards from a nearby pub as payment for using TIES parking spaces. The pub is located across the street from TIES headquarters at Snelling and Larpenteur avenues, just north of the State Fairgrounds in Falcon Heights.

The audit also raised questions about family members of TIES employees being on the organization's payroll. The Star Tribune's Jennifer Bjorhus reported that the son and daughter of the nonprofit's former executive director, Betty Schweizer, were employed by TIES, and that her niece was allowed to hold a wedding reception at the organization's event center without paying a rental fee. The son and daughter were involved in managing State Fair parking — an annual revenue generator for TIES — according to the story.

Schweizer had run the organization for 20 years when she retired with severance pay of $61,332 last summer — about six weeks before the audit was completed in October. The longtime chief financial officer also left the organization.

Some observers speculate that TIES may have gotten in over its head on a major building project. The audit revealed that the cost of renovating the organization's administrative building and event center grew from $318,267 to more than $3.1 million and that change orders for the work couldn't be located.

Who's to blame? More detailed answers will surely come from an investigation that should be conducted by either the state auditor or the Office of the Legislative Auditor. To their credit, TIES board members called for the independent review after seeing budget deficits — including a projected $2.8 million shortfall this year.

Dan Luth, head of the TIES executive committee, has said that he didn't think any of the irregularities rose to the level of criminal offenses and that the group is addressing all of the financial matters outlined in the audit.

Still, board members from recent years must shoulder some of the responsibility for allowing the questionable practices to occur. In 2002, an auditing firm that had worked with TIES said it would no longer bid for that work because of accounting issues and incomplete records.

And a Star Tribune review of the group's audited financial statements back to 2009 found that another auditor found at least one "significant deficiency" each year, including improperly reviewing and maintaining bank accounts and ledgers."

Even if there are ultimately no findings of theft or personal gain, there is no excuse for mismanaging public funds. Any organization that does work on behalf of taxpayers must be held accountable for spending every cent as efficiently as possible.