OAK GROVE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Oak Grove Mayor Jackie Oliver signed an executive order outlining the city’s cash handling procedures to ensure financial integrity, protect public funds, and ensure city operations are running smoothly and ethically. The executive order will be effective immediately following Tuesday’s city council meeting.
Finance Director Matt Egbert explained that the order came in direct response to recent findings from the city’s audit report in early January. Auditor Clifton Daniel from the financial institution Borland Benefield identified issues including discrepancies in time sheets, cash handling, and weaknesses in the city’s current procedures leading to thousands of dollars being unaccounted for.
Notably, the auditor found that a payroll clerk had been altering their own time sheet, and there was a lack of separation of duties. At the time, several recommendations were given to the city including a separation of duties, establishing oversight on the payroll process, and creating digital copies of timesheets.
As part of the effort to implement stronger safeguards, Egbert announced that a new time clock policy will be introduced on Feb. 15. “We will have a two-week grace period for this policy and it will be issued to every employee this week,” he said.
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