09/06/2018
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo (Sept. 6, 2018) State Auditor Nicole Galloway announced the release of three reports providing a status update from city officials on how departments within the City of St. Louis have addressed findings from the last comprehensive audit of the city. These reports include responses from the Office of the Comptroller, Office of the Public Administrator and Department of Human Services as to their progress on the findings and will be considered as a part of ongoing audit work.
The Office of the Comptroller provides accounting services for the city, including financial reporting, federal grant administration, the management of outside vendor contracts, and asset management. The report indicated that 11 findings from the audit released in 2008 have been implemented. A 2008 finding recommended the office implement a new financial computer system in order to efficiently provide information needed by city offices. The city attempted to purchase and implement a new system over a period of three years, but the new system was not installed because it did not meet the city's needs. The report indicated that city officials have renewed efforts to update the city's accounting system. An audit of the Office of the Comptroller is upcoming.
The Office of the Public Administrator is responsible for representing citizens of St. Louis before the Probate Division of the St. Louis Circuit Court. The office manages the assets of deceased citizens without family or a will and acts as the appointed legal guardian for disabled residents. The report indicated two of the three findings from the audit released in 2010 were implemented. Audit work on the Office of the Public Administrator is upcoming.
The Department of Human Services coordinates activities and funding between five divisions: the Office on the Disabled, Homeless Services, St. Louis Area Agency on Aging, Youth and Family Services, and Veterans Affairs. The follow-up report indicated that six findings from the audit released in 2009 have been implemented. An audit of the Department of Human Services is upcoming.
Auditor Galloway said she expects to release 21 of these initial reports, which will provide a status update by city departments and officials on whether the concerns raised by the last comprehensive audit, completed in 2010, were addressed. The three follow-up reports include descriptions of how 19 of 28 findings were implemented since the previous audit was released. This brings the total number of implemented findings to 33 since the release of the status reports began. All the recently released status update reports are available here.
In late January, Auditor Galloway accepted the request by the Board of Aldermen to complete a comprehensive, independent audit of the City of St. Louis. Auditor Galloway said her office is approaching the review as a citizen-initiated audit and has pledged to engage citizens in the process. She has established a web page, auditor.mo.gov/STLAudit, to answer questions and receive information and concerns from citizens.
Citizens can provide information for consideration by contacting the State Auditor's Whistleblower Hotline at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov or by calling 800-347-8597. Concerns may also be submitted anonymously online at auditor.mo.gov/hotline.
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