State Auditor launches audit of the City of Pleasant Hill and the Pleasant Hill Municipal Division

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KQTV) -- Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick will perform an audit of the City of Pleasant Hill, requested by residents, and an audit of the Pleasant Hill Municipal Division, requested by city officials.

The performance audit of the City of Pleasant Hill was triggered by a petition signed by 771 registered voters, which exceeded the requirement of 673 signatures.

"I appreciate the efforts of the concerned citizens who gathered 771 signatures to make this petition audit possible. This is a duty we take very seriously and we will work diligently to review numerous aspects of governmental operations in Pleasant Hill with the goal of helping to make the city more transparent, accountable and efficient," said Fitzpatrick.

This marks the first time the City of Pleasant Hill will be audited by the State Auditor's Office.

"We will also take a close look at the operation of the Pleasant Hill Municipal Court after city officials brought some possible financial discrepancies to our attention," said Fitzpatrick. "We will now dig in more deeply with a full audit to determine the extent of the financial irregularities. In the event we find money is missing or possible criminal activity has occurred, we will work with law enforcement to ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions."

The audit of the Municipal Court comes at the request of the current court administrator and other city officials.

Individuals may provide information confidentially for consideration during the audits of the City of Pleasant Hill and the Pleasant Hill Municipal Division to the State Auditor's Whistleblower Hotline at 800-347-8597, by email at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov or by visiting www.auditor.mo.gov/hotline.