Saline County Board member says audit identifies more than $1 million in mismanagement

SALINE COUNTY - A special forensic audit of County Clerk and Recorder Kim Buchanan's office shows possible mismanagement, waste and abuse that has cost taxpayers more than $1 million, one board member said Thursday night.

Those findings, which were listed last on the county board agenda, are a concern for taxpayers and a county hard pressed to make ends meet, special audit committee chairman Joe Jackson said.

In September of 2017, the board voted to have an independent auditor conduct a forensic audit of Buchanan's office. Jackson said on Thursday night that they asked the auditing company to examine for evidence of fraud, mismanagement, waste and abuse. According to the cover letter of the preliminary findings report, Jackson said, evidence of mismanagement, waste and abuse were found.

For a two-year period between a portion of 2015 and a portion of 2017, actions cited as mismanagement and waste amounted to more than $1 million that did not need to be spent, Jackson said the preliminary findings indicated.

Buchanan addressed the report, saying she had only received a copy of it prior to Thursday. The special audit committee received the preliminary findings on Jan. 18, Jackson said.

"The letter doesn't say 'mismanagement,' it says 'possible mismanagement,' Buchanan said.