Puxico residents ask for audit of city's finances

PUXICO, Mo. -- More than 200 residents of Puxico have requested a review of the city government's finances by the Missouri auditor's office.

Field agents with the office are already in the town of about 1,150 residents, looking over the finances of a city government some say has mismanaged funds.

In all 217 city residents signed a petition requesting the review, which was approved by the auditor's office. Over the next six to eight months the office will pore over the city's finances in a process that will cost the small town from $8,000 to $16,000.

The petition doesn't specify the reason for the request, and some residents who signed it have different views about possible financial questions in the town.

"It just seems like there's a lot of money that wasn't accounted for, and some of them in there might have had something to do with it," lifelong Puxico resident Lynn Holloway said of the city government.

Another petition signer, Opal Cookson, isn't so quick to place blame.

"I have no idea if it was criminal," Cookson said. "It could just be bad bookkeeping. We've just got to know where the money was."

An independent audit by the Farmington, Mo.-based accounting firm Maloney, Wright and Robbins began last year of the city's 2003-2004 budget. The audit stalled after auditors questioned the city's system of recording its finances and requested more information.

The independent audit was put on hold while the firm requested more information, said Linus Barnfield, a partner at Maloney, Wright and Robbins. Robbins would not speak about inconsistencies in the city's financial records or what kind of additional information the firm needed that put the audit on hold, citing the fact that the audit was ongoing.

"We have not completed that audit, so there's really nothing to comment on," Barnfield said.

In the wake of the stalled audit divisions developed among the board of aldermen following the April 2005 election about the rumor of missing money from the city's accounts. Those divisions led to questions from residents and the resulting petition to the auditor's office, said Mayor Ruth Temple.

Temple said she has no problem with the state audit, and believes there has been no criminal wrongdoing.

"I'm very confident no criminal activity is involved," said Temple, who has held office for about a year and a half.

Temple feels there's probably no money missing, just some improper documentation. However, she said the financial questions have caused some division in the town.

Samantha Brewer, public affairs coordinator for the state auditor's office, said if criminal wrongdoing is found the office will turn the information over to the proper authorities. In a case where there is no criminal activity, the office will make recommendations to the city but has no power to enforce those recommendations.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182