09/15/2016
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released the results of an audit of the government of Carter County, located in Southeast Missouri. The audit received an overall performance rating of good, and showed marked improvement over the county's most recent audit, which was completed in 2012 and earned a poor performance rating.
"This is how audits are supposed to work. When issues are identified it's up to county leaders to take action, and that's exactly what we see here," Auditor Galloway said. "While the audit did identify some additional areas for improvement, the county has been responsive and has already taken steps to correct some items addressed in the report."
Auditor Galloway did identify some recurring issues in the sheriff's office, where staff do not endorse checks immediately when received, increasing the risk for loss or misuse of funds. The audit also raised concerns in the prosecuting attorney's office. The former prosecuting attorney did not keep an up-to-date record of amounts still due to be paid by those convicted of crimes and ordered to pay damages to victims.
The report also makes recommendations to reduce the risk of errors in the property tax system, and increase the security of information across multiple county offices.
The complete audit report is available online here.
