Polk County audit reveals multiple repeat findings

(The Center Square) – The Tennessee Comptroller’s annual audit of county finances showed Polk County officials again did not fulfill their fiscal responsibilities with 11 findings, eight of which were repeated from the year before.

The county’s director of accounts and budget is supposed to maintain the accounting records for both the county executive and the highway superintendent, but the county continues to not follow that requirement, instead allowing the highway department to manage its own funds.

That issue has been repeated for 12 consecutive audit years, the report said.

Auditors had to make material adjustments to financial statements from both the highway department and the schools.

The comptrollers’ office said the need for adjustments are an indicator of a lack of oversight and inefficiencies in records maintenance.

The schools were the subject of several findings after the director of schools failed to close the records for the year on time as well as having purchasing and accounting deficiencies and failing to maintain the spending limits authorized from Polk County’s commission.

“For the past two years, Polk County has had several findings that have gone uncorrected,” said Comptroller Jason Mumpower. “County officials have put together corrective plans to remedy these problems. It’s my expectation that county leaders and the audit committee will take the necessary steps to improve financial management in Polk County.”

The audit also showed that the sheriff’s office didn’t reconcile bank statements properly with the general ledger.