Judge Approves Fiscal Administrator for the Town of St. Joseph
A fiscal administrator has been appointed to oversee the Town of St. Joseph’s finances, the Legislative Auditor said today. David Greer, a former First Assistant to the Legislative Auditor, was named to the position.
The action was taken at the request of the state Fiscal Review Committee, which voted unanimously in April to petition the court for the appointment. Among other testimony earlier this year, committee members heard that
· The Town has experienced net financial losses every year since 2006, in spite of receiving state operating capital grants totaling approximately $1.5 million.
· For the five fiscal years prior to 2007-2008, the Town failed to ensure that its audit was completed and the report submitted within the statutorily required six months of the close of the fiscal year.
· The Town has been cited with numerous infractions by the Legislative Auditor’s Office between 2008 and 2015.
· An investigative audit report issued by the Legislative Auditor in March 2016 showed little to no improvement in the Town’s compliance with state law. The audit also noted deficiencies in the Town’s overall financial management, improper reimbursement and overpayments of travel expenses, insufficient accounting records, and inadequate controls over payables and disbursements.
As a result of its failure to file its annual audit report on time, the Town has been placed on the Legislative Auditor’s noncompliance list. That means officials have no access to about $8.3 million in grants and other funding designated for needed repairs to the municipal water system. The state Department of Health has cited the Town for several violations related to the water system, and residents have complained repeatedly about the water’s color and odor.
Purpera said the Legislative Auditor’s office would work with Greer and the Town to provide whatever assistance is necessary to help the Town improve and stabilize its finances.
For more information contact:
Legislative Auditor
225.339.3800