ELDRIDGE, Iowa — On Thursday, Auditor of State Rob Sand released a report on a special investigation of the City of Eldridge spending, according to a news release from Sand’s office.
Eldridge city officials requested the report because of concerns about “certain financial transactions” processed by former City Clerk Denise Benson, the release says.
The report covers a period from Jan. 1, 2017, through Oct. 31, 2022. Sand reported the special investigation identified $76,171.90 of improper disbursements and $8,718.18 of unsupported disbursements.
The improper disbursements identified include:
- $42,384.74 of personal purchases made with the city’s credit card
- $1,138.89 of unauthorized payroll issued to Benson and related payroll costs
- $16,515.15 of payment to Benson’s Capital One Credit card bill
- $16,133.12 of payments to other vendors via check or online payment.
Sand also reported the improper disbursements identified included sales tax, late fees, and finance charges on the city’s credit card.
According to the release, the $8,718.18 of unsupported disbursements identified include $6,325.76 of purchases made with the city’s credit cards and $2,392.42 of payments made from the city’s checking account. Sand reported it “was not possible to determine the propriety of these credit card charges and disbursements because adequate documentation was not maintained to determine if they were for City operations or personal in nature.”
In addition, Sand reported city officials did not implement policies or procedures to address the recommendations included in a report released in March 2022 for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2021. The report included recommendations to segregate duties, reconcile ending cash and investments, and implement a purchasing policy, the release says.
Sand recommended city officials implement procedures to ensure the city’s internal controls are strengthened, including properly segregating duties, performing independent reviews of bank reconciliations, and ensuring all disbursements are properly supported, approved, and paid in a timely manner, the release shows.
Local 4 News will reach out to city and county officials for more information.
Copies of Sand’s report have been filed with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Scott County Attorney’s Office, and the Attorney General’s Office. A copy of the report is available here.
