Auditor Fitzpatrick initiates petition audit of the City of Salem

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick will answer the call of  concerned citizens of the City of Salem by launching a petition audit that will provide a thorough review of the governmental operations in the southern Missouri municipality. Auditors officially began field work on the performance audit on Monday, July 20.

"We take the efforts and concerns of the Salem residents who signed the petition very seriously and will do our best to provide them with a detailed look at how their city government is operating while also identifying any areas that can be improved," said Auditor Fitzpatrick. "I know many of the citizens of Salem have taken issue with their utility bills and we will certainly look closely at these concerns to make sure the city is in compliance with all relevant state laws. Our goal is to make sure the city is operating in a manner that is effective, efficient, and accountable."

Petitioners needed 278 signatures to trigger the audit and were able to accumulate 284 signatures that were certified by the Dent County Clerk. The City of Salem was last audited by the State Auditor's Office in 2010. The report, which was also triggered by a citizen petition, found the city had transferred substantial amounts from the Electric Fund to the General Fund without adequate justification. The audit also found the city had not adequately documented the calculation of utility rate increases. 

Individuals may provide information confidentially for consideration during the audit of the City of Salem to the State Auditor's Whistleblower Hotline at 800-347-8597, by email at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov, or by visiting www.auditor.mo.gov/hotline.