Report shows improvements in Dunklin County Public Administrator office

KENNETT, Mo. -- Missouri's auditor has issued a follow-up report on the Dunklin County Public Administrator's office and found operations in the office have improved significantly since the former public administrator resigned earlier this year.

The county public administrator is responsible for managing the finances of those who are unable to do so for themselves. In March, an audit found the Dunklin County public administrator misused funds entrusted to her for her benefit, leading to her resignation and replacement.

"More than six months ago my office uncovered a series of questionable and disturbing actions taken by the former public administrator. At that time I laid out a series of recommendations designed to put safeguards in place to ensure no one in this position would be able to exploit the very people they are entrusted to protect again," Auditor Nicole Galloway said in a news release. "My team has gone back into Dunklin County to review the current status of those recommendations, and I'm pleased to share the new public administrator has improved operations and worked with court officials to increase accountability and protections for the benefit of individuals who depend on the public administrator's office."

Matt Jackson was appointed to the position after the resignation of Shawnee Trowbridge last spring. Jackson said the report was a relief but not a surprise.

"When I came in we had that audit report to see what the problems were," he said. "By looking at it, we could focus on the areas. Of course when you start dealing with that problem, you start seeing other smaller issues that feed there. It's not always where you can fix that one problem, but you have to fix the smaller tributary problems."

Jackson credited his staff for the hard work done to successfully meet the audit's recommendations.

Galloway's office is finished with the county office until the next regularly scheduled audit in four years. The full report can be found on the auditor's website, auditor.mo.gov.

Toward the end of it, the report states beginning this month, the public administrator or his staff plan to visit all wards to ensure asset listings are accurate. Jackson said that is well underway.

Pertinent address:

103 S. Main St., Kennett, Mo.