State Audit of Wright County Underway

The State Auditor’s Office has begun a regular audit of Wright County. The State Auditor’s Office last released an audit of a Wright County government office in December 2016. The report uncovered more than $7,000 in fraudulent activity by the former Wright County Collector. The audit issued a rating of “poor” and detailed how the former collector allowed county property tax records to be manipulated in order to give about $6,500 in property tax breaks to herself, her family members and others. She also forged nearly $500 worth of checks from county accounts and unlawfully paid herself approximately $700 in railroad and utility taxes and property tax commissions. A progress report issued in 2017, found the county clerk and commission had taken on new oversight responsibilities to review property tax records to ensure payments made by the county collector and staff are properly handled. A follow-up audit gave a fair rating to all the other offices, describing several issues in the prosecutors office including a failure to separate accounting duties or perform supervisory reviews in order to create appropriate checks and balances when dealing with sensitive bank records and information. The audit also recommended the county improve procedures related to confiscated and seized property in the sheriff’s office. The State Auditor’s staff are back in Wright County and had a meeting with office holders on Monday.