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A new state audit raises serious concerns about how the City of Springfield is using its money and resources. State Auditor Susan Montee presented the audit of the City of Springfield at council chambers Thursday night. In addition to identifying areas of concern, Montee provided some recommendations for improving how the city handles its resources. KSMU's Greg Leuthen reports.
What began seven years ago with collecting signatures for a petition to have the city of Springfield audited culminated Thursday night with the presentation of the audit. The State Auditor's office spent almost a year combing through the city's finances.
State Auditor, Susan Montee, says she found problems with the two new parking garages, the planned renovation of the Heer's Tower, and a plan to develop a police and firefighter training facility that has yet to pan out. Montee says she is also concerned about some city employees who are running up big charges on the credit cards the city gave provided them.
Montee stresses that no criminal activity has taken place, there has just been a mismanagement of resources.
This includes three hundred thousand dollars worth of furniture and equipment purchased three years ago for the planned police and firefighter training facility. While the development of the training facility has stalled, the furniture has remained in its original packaging, and most of the warranties have expired. Montee says that if the city hires an internal auditor to check over daily expenses, many of these problems would get fixed.
But even with the State Auditor's suggestion, the Springfield City Council would not necessarily be forced to take any action. Several outraged citizens voiced their displeasure at the meeting Thursday night, and demanded that those responsible for the city's financial problems be fired. Montee says that although she can't make the City Council change its ways, there is something the citizens of Springfield can do.
Several of the City Council members who were at the meeting said that they will take immediate action and hire an internal auditor for a short term to address all the areas mentioned in the 70 page audit. When that period expires, the City Council will determine the best way to make the internal auditor position permanent.
