State audit finds Mississippi County residents overtaxed $172,000, cites widespread operational issues
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., (KBSI) — Scott Fitzpatrick said a new audit found Mississippi County residents were overtaxed by about $172,000 since 2016 and identified widespread deficiencies in county operations that require corrective action.
The audit, released Wednesday, gave Mississippi County an overall rating of “fair” and cited significant issues in the offices of the prosecuting attorney, sheriff, county clerk and county commission. Fitzpatrick said weaknesses in internal controls increase the risk of loss, theft or misuse of public funds.
“The lack of essential controls and procedures in some county offices creates risk that theft or misuse of funds could occur and go undetected,” Fitzpatrick said. He pointed to delayed restitution payments to victims, inadequate tracking of seized property and errors that led to excess property tax assessments. He said county officials have committed to implementing recommended changes to improve transparency and accountability.
In the prosecuting attorney’s office, auditors found a failure to adequately segregate duties or perform supervisory reviews of accounting records. One employee handled receiving, recording, depositing and disbursing funds without sufficient oversight, and receipts were not deposited promptly, resulting in some victims waiting years for restitution.
The sheriff’s office showed similar deficiencies, including inadequate segregation of accounting duties and a lack of bank reconciliations and inventory controls. Auditors found no comprehensive system to track seized weapons and drug paraphernalia or to conduct periodic physical inventories.
The audit also found the county clerk failed to accurately calculate property tax reductions or retain required sales tax rollback documentation for multiple years, contributing to approximately $172,000 in excess property taxes since 2016. In addition, budget amendments for nine funds were not approved until after expenditures exceeded budgets by about $290,000.
Other findings cited constitutional violations related to compensation and bonuses, inconsistent compliance with Missouri’s Sunshine Law, late filings by the public administrator, reconciliation issues in the recorder of deeds’ office, and inadequate procedures for handling funds in the assessor’s office.
The full audit report is available through the state auditor’s office.
