- Jefferson County is pushing for a DOGE audit to rebuild public trust after financial mismanagement.
- Former Clerk of Court Kirk Reams was convicted of grand theft, highlighting the need for financial oversight.
- Watch the video to find out what circumstances trigger a DOGE audit.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A push for a free financial probe in Jefferson County based on this executive order. I’m Lentheus Chaney, your Monticello neighborhood reporter, taking a look at how a DOGE audit could shine a light on past problems and future fixes.
County Commission Chairman Austin Hosford pushed for an audit when he first became chairman, but it didn’t get enough backing. I reported Monday night that Hosford called for a vote to bring in the state’s DOGE team for a countywide audit. Hosford says he’s glad to see the entire board fully on board with bringing in the DOGE audit.
“There’s been a lot that’s happened in Jefferson County in the last two years. Not all of it’s been good. This will help us gain trust and accountability back with the taxpayers of Jefferson County,” Hosford said.
This move comes months after former Jefferson County Clerk of Court Kirk Reams was convicted of grand theft for misusing county funds. That history is part of what’s driving the commission’s desire to rebuild public trust.
“It’s a really good initiative. It’s something that’s positive and proactive. Jefferson County, due to the fiasco we had with our previous audits and the mismanagement of funds through the previous county clerks, it would be helpful to support the governor’s office,” Hall said.
On March 18, Governor DeSantis sent a memo to county officials asking local agencies to let him know if they’ve experienced any of these issues:
- Failure to pay short-term loans or obligations when due as a result of lack of funds.
- Failure to make debt service payments on bonds, loans, or other debt instruments when due.
- Failure to timely pay uncontested claims from creditors for more than 90 days due to lack of funds.
- Failure to transfer taxes, Social Security contributions, or retirement plan contributions as required by law.
- An unreserved or total fund balance deficit in the general fund or any major operating fund that persists for two consecutive years.
If the DOGE team does find anything, it gets reported back to both the state and the county. Then it’s up to local leaders to come up with a corrective action plan under the state’s watch.
“In a perfect world, we go through the DOGE audit, and everything comes back fine. We can turn to our taxpayers and say, listen, we are spending your taxpayer dollars appropriately, efficiently, and wisely, and there’s nothing to be worried about,” Hosford said.
Even though the county’s trust has been shaken by past financial missteps, Hall says a DOGE audit from the governor’s team is the right move to secure the county’s future. In Monticello, I’m Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
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