03/02/2026 - JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.
Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick is on his way
to Dallas County and his message for the people of what was once known as
Niangua County is that he "won't go away" until county operations
have been thoroughly reviewed. Fitzpatrick announced a regularly scheduled
performance audit of the county commenced during a meeting with county
officials on Monday, March 2.
"Much has changed in the world since 1965 when
Thomas Hart Benton completed his iconic 'County Politics' painting that
featured the old Dallas County Courthouse, but what hasn't changed is the need
for county government to perform in a manner that is efficient, effective, and
makes responsible use of taxpayer dollars," said Auditor Fitzpatrick.
"We will spend the coming months reviewing the various county offices with
the goal of making sure they are transparent, accountable, and free from
potential waste, fraud, or abuse. We encourage anyone who may have tips that
would be helpful to our audit team to contact our Whistleblower Hotline."
The Missouri State Auditor's Office last released a
performance audit of Dallas County in 2019. The audit gave the county a "good" rating but also highlighted
concerns with accounting procedures in several county offices, including the
Sheriff, Public Administrator and Recorder of Deeds. The audit found the
Sheriff's office didn't have adequate procedures for recording, depositing and
disbursing inmate money, and that records of sales of e-cigarettes were not
accurately documented. The audit also found the Public Administrator did
not have adequate documentation for fees assessed to wards and estates, and the
Recorder of Deeds did not maintain an accurate check register balance or
prepare adequate bank reconciliations.
Individuals may provide information
confidentially for consideration during the audit of Dallas County to the State
Auditor's Whistleblower Hotline at 800-347-8597, by email at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov, or by visiting www.auditor.mo.gov/hotline.
