SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (KTIV)— The state of Iowa is warning Dickinson County about the ways it handles taxpayer money, and it isn’t the first warning for the county.
A report from State Auditor Rob Sand’s office found 11 financial failures inside county government. Five of them are the same problems Sand’s office flagged a year ago.
Sand released the findings covering county finances through June of last year.
Among the most serious findings, auditors say multiple county offices, including the Sheriff, Treasurer and Recorder, have one person controlling county cash from collection all the way to recording. That basic safeguard against fraud is missing in Dickinson County.
That hands-off approach extends beyond cash handling. Two county departments handed out employee bonuses without approval from the county board of supervisors.
“Each department has its own budget, and as long as they get the job that that department is supposed to do, what they do with the money is up to them. That was one of the things that surprised me when I first was a board member,” said Bill Leopold, chairman of the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors.
The county board is legally responsible for oversight of county finances. When asked if he expected the results of the most recent audit, Leopold said, “Pretty much. For example it says in there you don’t have as many people as you should looking after the money. I have been on a lot of boards. Every audit that we have ever had has had that phrase. Not enough people watching the money.”
Another finding flagged a deputy sheriff’s private company doing paid work for the county. Sand says that’s a potential conflict of interest under Iowa law. After the audit, the sheriff switched vendors.
“After this happened, the sheriff started using a different company for the work. It cost $2,400 more than when we used the ex-employee,” Leopold said.
When asked if taxpayers can expect the same problems in next year’s audit, Leopold said, “Hopefully they will be improved. That depends on our employees.”
The audit is 107 pages long and includes more detail about the auditor’s findings.
You can read the full report for yourself here.
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