Updated September 4, 2019

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County audit continues recommendations

(Editor’s Note: This is part 2 covering the state audit of Camden County)

CAMDEN COUNTY – As with all departments in the county, the State Auditor also found problems in the Sheriff’s Department and the Prosecutor’s Office.

The audit only covers the 2017 year.

Money received and disbursed was the focus of criticism Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway had for the Sheriff’s Department.

Receipts and deposits
“Procedures for receipting, recording, depositing, and reconciling payments need improvement.

• Sheriff's office staff issue generic unnumbered bond forms and do not issue receipt slips for bonds received. As a result, neither the Sheriff's Administrative Assistant nor the Sheriff can account for all bonds received and ensure bond monies are handled properly. The Sheriff's office collected approximately $702,400 in cash bonds during the year ended December 31, 2017.
• Sheriff's office staff do not issue receipt slips for garnishment fees and receipt slips are not always issued for civil fees… The Sheriff's Administrative Assistant stated office personnel only issue receipt slips for check payments if the payor requests a receipt.

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Sunshine Law? What is that?

CAMDEN COUNTY – One area of the audit that went into detail was the county’s handling of the Sunshine Law.

In March of 2017 the County Commissioners voted to remove the taking of minutes and sunshine law requests from the county clerk’s office. Sunshine law requests were put in the hands of a law firm and minutes were taken by someone other than an employee of the County Clerk’s office.

State law is clear on the duties of the County Clerk.

“51.120. Every clerk of a county commission shall keep an accurate record of the orders, rules, and proceedings of the county commission, and shall make a complete alphabetical index thereto; issue and attest all process, when required by law, and affix the seal of his office thereto…”

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Man dies in Camdenton one-vehicle accident

LAKE OF THE OZARKS – A Camdenton man has died in a one-vehicle accident last week.

According to the Camdenton Police Department (CPD) on Monday August 26 at approximately 6:30 p.m., city police officers responded to motor vehicle crash in the area of South State Highway 5 expressway and Highway 54.

According to the CPD, a 2004 Dodge van driven by Lucas Shaw, 32, of Camdenton, MO, had been traveling south on State Highway 5 and then exited at the off-ramp at Highway 54 intending to head West.

As the van was traveling on the ramp it apparently veered off the right side of the roadway, continued down into a ravine and impacted the embankment.

Emergency personnel responded to the scene and located the vehicle where they found Shaw unresponsive.

He was later pronounced deceased by the medical examiner.

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CAMDEN COUNTY – The Camden County Ambulance District is lowering its tax levy due to higher county evaluation.

The levy will drop from its current rate of 2.796 to the new rate of 2.791.

The lowering of the levy is related to the Hancock Amendment.

On November 4, 1980, Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment, Article X, sections 16-24 that is known as the Hancock Amendment. The amendment is a type of provision known as a “tax and expenditure limitation.”

Mel Hancock, authored a citizens’ initiative limiting state revenues and local taxes and was the originator, catalyst, and primary organizer of the constitutional amendment that is named after him.

A section of the Hancock Amendment deals with local tax entities, including the ambulance district.

According to the Missouri Legislative

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