Audit: Ryan needs better spending oversight

The Iowa State Auditor’s Office released a report Thursday on city spending in Ryan, two days after a similar report for the city of Delhi was released stating the former city clerk — who now works as the city clerk in Ryan — had been misusing funds.

The review in Ryan, released by State Auditor Rob Sand, did not uncover the type of misuse of funds found in Delhi under the former Delhi city clerk, Lori Tucker. But the new report outlined several ways the city of Ryan could better handle taxpayer dollars.

According to the auditor’s report on Delhi released earlier this week, Tucker processed $66,559.28 of improper disbursements and $13,525.46 worth of unsupported disbursements between Jan. 1, 2015, and June 30, 2022.

Tucker started working as the city clerk in Ryan in 2020, and worked for both Delaware County cities for two years before resigning from her Delhi position in 2022.

The recommendations outlined in the Ryan report include increasing segregation of duties between different city staff members, establishing procedures to regularly reconcile bank and investment account balances to the general ledger and to reconcile utility bills and collections, adopting a written investment policy, ensuring money transfers and disbursements are properly documented and approved by the City Council, and ensuring all timesheets for city employees are reviewed and properly approved.

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