A regularly scheduled audit by the office of State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick gave Benton County the lowest possible rating of "poor" and alleged that county officials disregarded and violated state law to overtax residents by approximately $200,000, according to a news release from the state auditor's office.

According to the report, Benton County received a lower rating from the previous audit released in 2016 that gave the county a rating of "fair."

Notably, the report alleged the Benton County public administrator made questionable payments to members of her family for tax preparation services for wards without considering other companies and ensuring the services were obtained at the lowest cost.

"It's disappointing to see the county's condition has worsened in the eight years since our last audit, and it's important for taxpayers to know about the issues that have persisted over the years as well as the new problems identified in this report," Fitzpatrick said in a news release.

Fitzpatrick said in the news release that the county is taking steps to return the $200,000 to taxpayers.

The report also alleged the county has inadequate financial controls and procedures, including the alleged failure of the county treasurer to ensure bank reconciliations are accurately prepared and agree to book balances. The bank reconciliation performed for January 2023 was reviewed, and a significant difference of $7.4 million was identified between the reconciled bank balance and the book balance, according to the report.