Audit: City of Sturgeon improperly managed cemetery money

STURGEON, Mo. (KMIZ)

A state audit has found Sturgeon city officials improperly managed money from a cemetery fund, according to State Auditor Nicole Galloway's office.

Galloway released the audit report Tuesday. Among the items flagged in the audit of the Mt. Horeb Cemetery fund was that the city improperly transferred two certificates of deposit from the fund to city general revenue.

The transfer dropped the cemetery fund balance from $177,000 to end fiscal 2018 to $95,000 at the end of fiscal 2019.

Galloway said in a news release that city leaders also "improperly spent from the principal of the cemetery fund and commingled cemetery fund assets with other city funds."

"I encourage the Sturgeon Board of Aldermen to use this audit as a means to improve their financial and other practices," Galloway said in a news release.

Her office gave the city a rating of "fair" on the audit, which was initiated by a petition signed by Sturgeon residents.