(Missourinet with Post Staff contributions) – Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D) said a monthly report shows that 44% of the 333 local governments with financial reports due last month failed to meet last month’s deadline.

“I’m disappointed by the dismal success rate demonstrated by so many local governments who are failing to provide even the most basic information about their own financial management,” Galloway said. “These reporting requirements are not new and they are not complicated. When local governments can’t provide this essential information, they are failing to meet fundamental obligations to transparency and accountability in government.”

Cities, towns and villages in Missouri are required to file annual financial reports with the State Auditor within six months of the end of their fiscal year. The reports must include basic financial information, such as starting and ending account balances, the amount of money received and spent over the year, and property tax rates charged to citizens. State law has required this information be submitted to the State Auditor’s Office since at least 1965.

This requirement is not to be confused with new reporting requirements enacted in 2015 as part of municipal court reform efforts, which are currently on hold pending legal review and action.

Galloway’s report includes filing statuses for the 259 cities, 5 towns and 69 villages whose financial reports were due by the end of December 2016. Of the 333 municipal governments included in this reporting period, 185 filed a completed annual financial report on time and 148 did not, for a success rate of 56%. The City of St. Joseph had not filed its annual financial report according to the the list. A representative with the City of St. Joseph said the city had completed but did not turn the report in in a timely manner.  The issue has since been resolved.

The report also includes information on other local governments that submitted financial reports or related documents to the State Auditor’s Office. Reports received are searchable online. The full report on Municipal Court and Revenue Filings for December is available online here.