09/01/2015
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today announced additional steps her office is taking toward reform and accountability in the municipal court system. As part of these efforts, the Municipal Courts Initiative is being expanded to include all municipal courts audited by the office and rules have been filed to implement municipal court reform legislation.
“Already, the professional audit staff in my office has begun working to document problem areas in municipal court operations in the greater St. Louis region and across the state," Galloway said. "With the expansion of the Municipal Courts Initiative, we will bring this same scrutiny and accountability to all municipal court audits, in order to better protect Missouri taxpayers from abuses of power.”
The initiative, launched in October 2014, adds additional areas of review to the standard audit process, which already includes reviews of financial transactions, accounting practices and compliance with court rules and the law.
Under the Municipal Courts Initiative, auditors place a larger emphasis on examining statistical information on warrants, tickets and other penalties, and investigating activities related to unfair treatment and other practices that may impair impartiality or damage the court's credibility with citizens.
An additional component of the office's court reform initiative includes a series of rules filed today by the State Auditor's Office. The rules are designed to guide local governments in implementing new requirements set forth in Senate Bill 5, which went into effect Aug. 28 and provides additional tools to identify problem areas in municipal court operations.
"True, comprehensive reform must include a series of approaches in order to effect real change and must be conducted with full transparency," Galloway said. "The proposed rules filed by my office lay out clear guidance for counties, municipalities and courts in meeting critical requirements, and the process allows for full participation by the citizens of Missouri."
The proposed rules are posted online. Public comments on the proposed rules can be made via mail, email or during a public hearing in Jefferson City on Nov. 2. Public comments will be accepted through Nov. 6, 2015.
Senate Bill 5 restricts the percentage of revenue counties or municipalities can generate from fines, bond forfeitures and court costs for minor traffic violations. It also requires additional information on annual financial reports and certification of compliance with municipal court reforms. The rules filed give guidance on how this information is to be provided to the State Auditor's Office.
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Auditor Nicole R. Galloway, CPA, is the 38th auditor of the State of Missouri. She is a certified public accountant and certified fraud examiner. Prior to becoming State Auditor, Galloway served as Treasurer of Boone County, and has worked in the private sector as a corporate auditor, accountant and actuarial analyst. She has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri and degrees in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Missouri University of Science and Technology.
