- Office of the State Auditor
Media Contact for Audit of the State Treasurer's Office Shows Sheriffs Not Transmitting All Fees
David Todisco, Deputy Communications Director
BOSTON — In an audit of the Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General released today, the Office of State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump (OSA) revealed that not all county sheriffs are remitting civil process fees as required by law. The Treasurer’s Office was advised to more closely monitor the sheriffs’ payments and to take legal action to collect monies due. The audit, which examined the period of January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2020, also found that the office was not publishing a list of qualified banks and transmitting it at least once every six months to the Governor as required by Massachusetts General Laws (MGL).
“The law is clear as to the responsibility of sheriffs to transmit certain fees for deposit into state coffers. We encourage the Treasurer’s office to take all necessary actions to ensure prompt payment by the sheriffs,” Bump said of the audit.
The audit found that nine of 14 sheriff’s departments did not transmit civil process fees during one or more quarters during the audit period, which is required by MGL. In addition, the audit found that the Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General’s tax identification number (TIN) list of all state agency bank accounts was inaccurate. The audit recommended that the Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General implement better internal controls, including new policies and procedures to prevent these issues in the future. In its response to the findings, the Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General indicated that it is taking measures to address the majority of the OSA’s recommendations.
The Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General is responsible for the state’s cash and debt management [and receiving, safeguarding, and disposing of] unclaimed property. The State Treasurer chairs various state boards and commissions, including the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the Pension Reserves Investment Management Board, the State Board of Retirement, Massachusetts State Lottery Commission, and the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust.
The audit can be viewed HERE.
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