September 19, 2024 |
Photo – Medicine Bow Town Council – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
The Wyoming Department of Audit has recognized the governing body of Medicine Bow for its adherence to state law.
During the September 9th Medicine Bow town council meeting, Town Attorney Cameron Smith said the state auditor complimented Mayor Justin George and the other council members. Attorney Smith said the council has been unofficially recognized for improving the way the town is managed.
The sitting Medicine Bow town council has been working to bring the town back into compliance with state laws.
In 2023, the newly elected Medicine Bow town council began the process of auditing the town’s finances. According to council members, years of mismanagement and a failure to update the accounting software at town hall left them with no idea of how much money was available in the budget.
The auditing company must have suspected something was wrong with the town’s accounting because the Wyoming Department of Audit became involved.
Council members at the time said that the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation took 17 totes of financial records from the town’s offices at the end of June 2023.
Unconfirmed sources say the documents taken from the Medicine Bow town hall first went to the Carbon County Prosecutor’s Office. After finding no criminal wrongdoing, the county attorney is alleged to have invited DCI to review the financial statements on its own. Bigfoot 99 has not been able to confirm this alleged trail of activity. Public sources have declined to comment.
According to the town’s Deputy Clerk, Alice Clark, most of Medicine Bow’s accounting records taken last June still have not been returned to the town. Clark told Bigfoot99 that on August 30th, a Carbon County Sheriff’s Deputy brought three of the 17 totes back. Clark said the town still hasn’t heard any news about the investigation.
At the September 9th Medicine Bow town council meeting, Attorney Smith said due to his handling of the town’s finances, Mayor George may be asked to teach a public officer training class in the future.
