Auditor of State Rob Sand today (Monday) released an audit report on Mills County, Iowa.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS:
The County’s revenues totaled $25,545,133 for the year ended June 30, 2024, a 7.9% increase over the prior year. Expenses for County operations for the year ended June 30, 2024 totaled $19,928,133, a 7.7% increase over the prior year. The significant increase in the revenues is primarily due to increased property tax revenues and contributions from the Iowa Department of Transportation. The significant increase in expenses is primarily due to the installation of fiber optic cable.

AUDIT FINDINGS:
Sand reported ten findings relating to the receipt and expenditure of taxpayer funds. They are found on pages 84 through 90 of this report. The findings address issues such as a lack of segregation of duties, adjustments needed to properly record receivables in the County’s financial statements, lack of current and delinquent property tax reconciliations, related party business transactions in which the County did not seek a bid and noncompliance with Chapter 403 of the Code of Iowa pertaining to the proper use of tax increment financing revenues. Sand provided the County with recommendations to address each of these findings.

Nine of the findings discussed above are repeated from the prior year. The County Board of Supervisors and other County officials have a fiduciary responsibility to provide oversight of the County’s operations and financial transactions. Oversight is typically defined as the “watchful and responsible care” a governing body exercises in its fiduciary capacity.

A copy of the audit report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s website at Audit Reports – Auditor of State.