Dierks Audit Findings

Law enforcement personnel & state auditors are conducting an investigation into various financial transactions within the Dierks Water & Sewer system.  According to a report released Wednesday, the city failed to submit information for an audit of the water & sewer system for the calendar years 2015 through 2019.  State auditors say they will issue a report concerning the questionable transactions, once the investigation is complete.

 In the report released Wednesday, state auditors say they found a variety of matters that are in noncompliance with state law & accounting practices during the calendar years of 2018 & 2019.   The findings include unsupported liability accounts of 111 thousand 356 dollars in 2019, and another 76 thousand 309 dollars in 2018. 

The city also traditionally gives five thousand dollars each year to the chamber of commerce for the Pine Tree Festival.  However, for the two years covered in the audit report, there was no service contract issued between the city & chamber.  The city also provides a 450 dollar contribution each year to the cemetery committee.  There was also no service contract for that donation.

Within the police department, the audit found $190.00 for boots used by a City Police Officer that were adaptable to general usage as ordinary clothing, without adding the items as income to the employee’s IRS W-2 form.

It was also noted that a council member, who served concurrently as a part-time Police Officer, received salary payments totaling $3,827 without an authorizing ordinance.