June 14, 2018
UPDATE: Kentucky Auditor:
Harmon Releases Audit of Lawrence County Sheriff’s Tax Settlement
FRANKFORT, Ky. – State Auditor Mike Harmon today released the audit of the sheriff’s settlement – 2015 taxes for Lawrence County Sheriff Garrett Roberts. State law requires the auditor to annually audit the accounts of each county sheriff. In compliance with this law, the auditor issues two sheriff’s reports each year: one reporting on the audit of the sheriff’s tax account, and the other reporting on the audit of the fee account used to operate the office.
Auditing standards require the auditor’s letter to communicate whether the sheriff’s settlement presents fairly the taxes charged, credited and paid in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
The audit contains the following comments:
“…The sheriff’s financial statement fairly presents the taxes charged, credited and paid for the period April 16, 2015 through April 15, 2016 in conformity with the regulatory basis of accounting.
“The sheriff did not pay the correct amount of commissions or add-on fees to the 2016 fee account: The sheriff did not pay the correct amount of commissions or add-on fees to the 2016 fee account. In addition, unmined coal taxes collected in May and June 2016 were incorrectly deposited into the 2017 fee account. A transfer from the 2017 fee account to the 2016 fee account will be required to correct the error.
“…The sheriff’s financial statement fairly presents the taxes charged, credited and paid for the period April 16, 2015 through April 15, 2016 in conformity with the regulatory basis of accounting.
{A further interpretation by Harmon associate Mike Goins went like this: “It is fees collected by his office that should have been distributed to the fiscal court but were not done in a timely fashion, and unmined coal taxes that were mistakenly placed in the wrong fee account. As our recommendation on the finding states:
“We recommend the sheriff establish procedures to ensure the commission paid to the school is returned each month. We recommend the sheriff establish procedures to ensure add-on fees are paid to the fee account for each month they are collected. This will improve the cash flow for the fee account, as payments would be made timely. We recommend excess fees totaling $56,614 be paid to the fiscal court from the 2016 fee account and transfer the unmined coal tax commissions collected in May and June 2016 in the amount of $856 to the 2016 fee account from the 2017 fee account.”
Veteran deputy sheriff Shery burchett said this week that all fee accounts have now been corrected and that there was never any money missing or misspent.
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County Audits to Be Released Monday
FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 14, 2018) – Mike Harmon, Kentucky’s 47th Auditor of Public Accounts, announced his office will release the following county audits Monday, June 18, and will be posted on the web at auditor.ky.gov:
2015 Audits
Lawrence County Sheriff’s Tax Settlement
Lawrence County Sheriff’s Tax Settlement-Oil & Gas
2016 Audits
Breckinridge County Sheriff’s Tax Settlement
Caldwell County Sheriff’s Tax Settlement
Menifee County Sheriff Fee Account
Perry County Sheriff’s Tax Settlement
Perry County Sheriff’s Tax Settlement-Oil & Gas
2017 Audit
Harrison County Fiscal Court
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The Auditor of Public Accounts ensures that public resources are protected, accurately valued, properly accounted for, and effectively employed to raise the quality of life of Kentuckians.
Call 1-800-KY-ALERT or visit our website to report suspected waste and abuse.
