March 29, 2024

State releases audit report for Jasper County

Last week, Iowa State Auditor Mary Mosiman released an audit report that broke down Jasper County’s 2012-13 fiscal year.

During FY 2013, Jasper County trimmed its operational expenses by 9 percent, $23,183,296, from FY 2012. The county also collected 4 percent less in tax revenue, $13 million, in FY 2013 than it had in the previous fiscal year.

The total tax revenue the county collected was $48.7 million, which was the amount the county collected on behalf of the county’s townships, school districts, cities and other taxing bodies. After retaining its portion, the county disbursed around $35.6 million.

Mosiman explained in her report some of the measures the county did during the last fiscal year to actually come in $776,363 less than it projected in its projected budget.

“Over the course of the year, Jasper County amended its budget three times,” Mosiman wrote. “The first amendment was made in Dec. 2012 and resulted in an increase in budgeted disbursements for the capital projects function for anticipated FEMA project disbursements. The second amendment was made in April 2013.

“This amendment resulted in a decrease in budgeted disbursements for the mental health function and increased disbursements for the capital projects function. The third amendment was made in June 2013 and resulted in increases in budgeted receipts for additional local option sales tax and FEMA receipts. The third amendment also increased budgeted disbursements for FEMA repairs, county road maintenance, maintenance of buildings and grounds and to reflect pass-through grants.”

Jasper County finished with a fund balance of $4,453,333.