11/14/2016
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released an audit of the government of Ripley County, located in Southeast Missouri. The audit identifies areas for improvements in the county collector's office, and raises concerns about the county's use of public equipment to make improvements to personal property.
The Road and Bridge Department provides grading services for residents in exchange for a donation to the county of $65 per hour for work done. The service includes leveling a driveway or private road, and making adjustments to improve drainage. When an employee of the Road and Bridge Department is grading a county road, residents can request the service on their personal property by flagging down the equipment operator and requesting the service on the spot. The operator informs the individual of the cost, records the individual's name and address, and completes the work, but the county does not follow up with an invoice to the property owner. That means sometimes the owner does not make a payment, and the county never recoups the cost. In 2015 the county completed $601 worth of work on private roads and driveways, but only received $341 in donations to the road and bridge fund, leaving taxpayers to pick up the tab for the remaining $260. In total, the county has not received $1,000 in donations from homeowners since 2008. It is a violation of the Missouri Constitution to use public dollars for private purposes.
The county does not keep an updated or complete inventory listing of property and equipment, and the report makes recommendations to improve management of finances in the prosecuting attorney's office. The report also shows a lack of oversight and review over property tax collections, which decreases the likelihood that errors will be detected and correctly quickly.
Ripley County received an overall performance rating of fair, and is available online here.
