Stockton City Manager Disputes Audit Findings

Serious accounting weaknesses, money that must be paid back to the state and co-mingling of taxpayer dollars. Those are just some of the problems cited in a state audit of the City of Stockton’s finances.

The State Controller's office has found serious problems in an audit of Stockton's finances from 2010 through 2011.

The Controller found no evidence of corruption but serious problems with accounting.

Jacob Roper in the Controller's Office says the audit looked at 79 general accounting controls.

"The Controller notes in his report that 60 percent of their accounting controls were found to be inadequate,” said Roper.

Stockton City Manager Bob Deis sent a reply in a letter indicating the city has already undertaken a plan to correct those problems.

He said the audit amounts to bayoneting the wounded after the battle.

But Roper said problems still exist such as comingling of gas tax and general fund revenues.

"But if you comingle those funds with the general fund, you may not have the cash to pay that transportation bill when it comes due,” said Roper.

The State Controller's Office has also ordered Stockton to repay the state 1.3 million dollars in redevelopment funds.