Officials Respond To Auditor’s Findings

THE MISSOURI AUDITOR FOUND PROBLEMS IN 3 COUNTY OFFICES

McDonald County officials are working to correct discrepancies identified in a report issued by the Missouri Auditor last week.

In the Collector’s Office, miscalculations resulted in incorrect amounts being withheld from city tax collections, the report shows.

County Collector Jennifer Weber explained that the Collector’s Office incorrectly withheld a 1 percent assessment withholding from city taxes and railroad and utility tax collections related to the city taxes when state law indicates 1.5 percent shall be deducted.

As a result, a total of $1,571 was not withheld.

“This amount will be withheld from city collections this year and the incorrect 1 percent will be corrected to 1.5 percent,” Weber said. “The Collector’s Office was audited in 2012 and this error was left unnoticed by the state Auditor’s Office at that time. Going forward I am glad this was found so the assessment fund will receive all monies due them.”

Of the $11.6 million collected by the department, $1,571 incorrectly distributed creates a margin of error of 0.013 percent.

The audit found the list of property seized by the Sheriff’s Office is not accurate or up to date. It also noted that the office has no procedure to ensure inmate money is refunded upon release, and adequate documentation was not retained to support cash refunds of some inmate money.

According to Sheriff Michael Hall, staff is conferring with Newton County Sheriff’s Office to update their process of documenting seized property.

As for the handling of inmate money, Hall noted that there is a procedure in place, but there are a lot of variables related to the money being claimed.

Upon being booked into the jail, an inmate’s money is deposited and a receipt is stored. When inmates are released, they are given a check in the amount they had when they entered the jail.

In July, Hall sent $3,000 in unclaimed money to the Missouri

Treasurer from a period of only two years.

“Some people choose not to pursue such a small amount, some lose their checks after they are released, and, if they go to prison, they may not be out to cash (the check) for years,” Hall said.

The report also states that the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has not adequately segregated accounting duties or performed documented supervisory reviews of accounting and banking records. It claims the prosecutor has not established proper controls or procedures for receipting, recording, reconciling and depositing money and the check clerk does not generate a monthly list of unpaid bad checks and restitution and is not proactive in identifying cases with unpaid receivables.

County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Dobbs said the audit is cyclical and happens every four years. Dobbs said the issues in the audit will be addressed and recommendations will be followed.

The county received an overall performance rating of fair. The auditor defines a finding of fair as indicating the need to improve operations in several areas. The report contains several findings, with one or more requiring management’s immediate attention, and/ or the entity has indicated recommendations will not be implemented. It may also indicate prior recommendations have not been implemented.