April 24, 2008 08:26 pm
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By Susan Redden
sredden@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. — Jasper County offices later this year are to have written procedures on money handling and grant administration, Richard Webster, county auditor, said Thursday.
Money handling in some offices is cited by the county’s outside auditor each year, Webster said, not because problems are found, but because duties aren’t sufficiently segregated.
“They want money handling and money accounting to be handled by different people,” he said. “Our excuse is always that we can’t afford to hire more people to segregate duties, and our workers who handle money are bonded. All that’s true, but we do want tighter controls.”
He said written procedures also are being recommended by the insurance company that handles the county’s bonding coverage.
“We’ve told them we plan to address it, and they’ve been receptive,” Webster said.
He said written policies also will be developed for the management of federal and state grants received by the county. He said grants are reviewed by the outside auditor, and by federal and state auditors.
“Right now, federal auditors are reviewing an Environmental Protection Agency grant administered by the Health Department,” he said. “They haven’t found any problems, but they are concerned we do not have written procedures for grant handling.”
Webster said he will prepare the grant-handling guidelines, based on federal standards.
He said he will ask every county fee office — those that accept money for taxes, fees or services — to develop written procedures. He said he has talked individually to some officeholders about the plan, and that Donna Grove, county recorder, already has developed policies for her office.
“If it’s necessary, I’ll go into each office and help them, and then a copy of each office’s policy will be kept in this office,” Webster said.
As much as possible, the polices are to call for the segregation of duties recommended by the auditor, he said. If that’s not possible, “at least we’ll have in writing how money is to be handled,” he said.
Webster outlined plans for the new policies at an elected officials meeting staged after the regular County Commission meeting on Thursday.
In that session, the commission:
Announced that the county had received a $5,000 grant from the Region M Solid Waste Commission that will be used for a tire-recycling event on May 22.
Approved a request that restrooms in the courthouse be made available for use during the Carthage Acoustic Music Festival on June 14.
Approved a contract to allow workers in the county clerk’s office to prepare tax books for Webb City.
Bridge projects
Bridge projects have been completed on Hawthorne Road and Mulberry Road, Jim Honey, Eastern District county commissioner, said Thursday. He said both projects are in the western part of the county, north of the intersection of highways 43 and 171.
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