Auditor Fitzpatrick announces regularly scheduled audit of Washington County

Governmental operations in Washington County will receive a thorough review by the Missouri State Auditor's Office. Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick announced his office has officially commenced a regularly scheduled performance audit of the county that began Tuesday, January 6.

"Taxpayers deserve to know how their government is operating and to make sure it is doing so in a way that is transparent and accountable. Our performance audit will take a close look at the various county offices with the goal of improving efficiency and minimizing the risk of fraud," said Auditor Fitzpatrick. "While our audit is ongoing we encourage the public to make use of our Whistleblower Hotline if they have relevant information."

The Missouri State Auditor's Office last issued a performance audit of Washington County in 2018. The report gave the county an overall rating of "good" while recommending improvements to financial and operational practices in several county offices. Auditor Fitzpatrick's office also released an audit of the Washington County Collector's Office in 2024 that gave the office a rating of "poor" and shed additional light on the questionable decisions made by the former collector that led to her removal from office and criminal charges being filed against her. 

Individuals may provide information confidentially for consideration during the audit of Washington County to the State Auditor's Whistleblower Hotline by calling 800-347-8597, emailing moaudit@auditor.mo.gov, or by visiting www.auditor.mo.gov/hotline.