A regularly scheduled performance audit of Crawford County in central Missouri is now underway, according to Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick. The audit officially began with an entrance meeting with county officials on Tuesday, March 25.
The Missouri State Auditor’s Office last conducted a performance audit of Crawford County in 2017. That audit rated the county as “fair” and reported that the county continued to overcharge citizens on property taxes, an issue raised in several previous audit reports. Between 2013 and 2016, the county collected $44,537 in excess property taxes.
A follow-up audit released in 2019 examined the Crawford County Collector and the county’s Property Tax System. The report recommended stronger oversight of the system and raised concerns about expenditures by the former collector using the Tax Maintenance Fund. Between 2014 and 2017, the former collector employed and paid her sister to prepare and mail annual tax statements, using the Tax Maintenance Fund. This led to nepotism allegations. The former collector also used $1,000 from the same fund to cover personal legal fees related to a Missouri Ethics Commission inquiry. She resigned in March 2018 due to the nepotism concerns.
Individuals with relevant information may contact the State Auditor’s Whistleblower Hotline at 800-347-8597.
