10/19/2016
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released the results of a citizen-requested audit of the city of Huntsville, located in Randolph County. The audit raised concerns with a number of city operations and budget practices.
"Huntsville residents requested this review, which found a number of areas where corrective action is necessary in order to ensure the city is operating efficiently and with full accountability to its citizens," Auditor Galloway said. "My report provides clear, specific recommendations for improvement, and it is now the responsibility of local leaders to address the issues identified in the audit."
Auditor Galloway identified issues related to the city's parks and recreation advisory board, which was operating in violation of city ordinances and the law. The park board was not keeping minutes for its regular monthly meetings, and had not submitted a required annual financial report to the city council for at least 10 years. The audit also describes a situation that occurred in 2014, where the previous park board president was removed from his positon by the former mayor, without approval of the city council.
The report raises concerns with operations at the cemetery. The city council voted to eliminate the $75 per lot discount for residents, and raise rates for cemetery plots from $150 to $500, along with an additional $200 in maintenance fees. Prior to this increase in 2014, the cemetery had not raised its rates in 25 years, but the city council approved the increase without preparing a statement of costs, which is required by law, and without conducting a cost study or providing other documentation to show how the new rates were calculated. This makes it difficult to determine whether the rates are assessed at a fair and reasonable amount. In addition, the new rates went into effect in May of 2014, but an ordinance was not passed to allow the rate increase until nine months later.
The city's annual budgets are not complete and do not contain all information required by law, and the city paid year-end bonuses of $50 to $100 to employees in 2014 and 2015. This is a violation of the Missouri Constitution's prohibition on bonus payments for public employees.
The audit also recommends the city establish procedures to ensure all candidates for public office meet necessary qualifications. Earlier this year an individual who had previously pled guilty to a felony violation of the law was elected to a seat on the city council. Missouri law does not allow individuals who have pled guilty or been convicted of a felony to hold public office.
Auditor Galloway released an audit of the Huntsville municipal court in August 2015. The audit found the court was collecting improper fees for failure to appear in court and failure to pay money owed to the court. After auditors raised concerns, the court stopped assessing the fees, which were not allowed under state law.
The city audit received an overall performance rating of good, and is available online here.
