St. Louis Comptroller Donna M.C. Baringer has taken a decisive step toward transparency and accountability by handing over the contentious findings of an audit of the city's auto towing and storage division to the feds. Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith is now tasked with digging deeper into the matter that has raised serious concerns over financial and operational mishandlings within the division.
The audit, as reported by the St. Louis Comptroller's office, has unearthed an alarming state of affairs: more than $80,000 in missing cash, a third of tow tickets either gone, filled out incorrectly, or showing the wrong figures, and a whopping 568 vehicles out of 1,133 unaccounted for in the inventory. This gaping lack of oversight points to a financial impact upwards of nearly $5 million dollars - a staggering sum by any account. Baringer's move comes with the assertion that "The old way of doing business is over."
Previous attempts to address such issues were ostensibly ignored. As procedures existed but were blatantly disregarded. This egregious oversight has prompted the Comptroller to outline a plan for a comprehensive audit strategy that will scrutinize all facets of city operations. Baringer aims to restore faith in how St. Louis keeps its books by possibly incorporating independent parties from outside the government into the audit process.
In her commitment to transparency, Comptroller Baringer has stated, "I am committed assuring taxpayers their money is accounted for and spent efficiently," as noted by the city's official website.
