JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Continuing the municipal courts initiative, Auditor Nicole Galloway released the first in a series of monthly summary reports focusing on state law compliance of local governments.
Wednesday’s summary showed 52 percent of the local governments required to file annual financial reports did so as state law determines.
Of the 391 local governments with reports due, 204 cities, towns and villages filed financial reports by the Dec. 31 deadline. Of that number, 120 filed financial reports with the required additional information.
Total reports due: 391 (100%)
- 120 (31%) Annual financial reports received, with required additional information
- 84 (21%) Annual financial reports received, without required additional information
- 187 (48%) No report received
This report includes local governments with fiscal years that ended between February and June 2015, and were due by Dec. 31, 2015. For this reporting period, 391 local governments were required to submit financial reports with addendums.
Cities, towns and villages are required to file annual financial reports with the State Auditor’s Office within six months of the end of their fiscal year. Due to changes in the law, local governments, including counties, must also file addendums providing information such as annual general operating revenue and revenues from fines and court costs for minor traffic violations.
“Citizens are entitled to know how government operates at every level, and today’s report creates transparency in the operations of local governments and municipal courts,” Auditor Galloway said. “My office will continue to work to keep Missourians informed, and to hold local governments accountable for providing all information required by law.”
Additional changes in the law also require local governments that operate municipal courts with a municipal judge to provide certification of compliance with a series of municipal court procedures, including ending the practice of holding a defendant in custody for more than 24 hours without a warrant, prohibiting use of jail time in order to force payment, implementing payment plans and community service alternatives, and holding court proceedings in locations that are accessible by the public.
This report reflects documents submitted by the Dec. 31, 2015 deadline. Reports received are searchable online and reports received after the Dec. 31 deadline will be included in future reports.
No counties were required to file in this reporting period.
The full report is available online here.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
