Maverick County Commissioners Court finally approve 2012 County Audit with $2.3 Million Deficit

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

Maverick County Commissioners Court finally approved the County’s 2012 Financial Statements and Audit with a $2.3 Million budget deficit and without the Maverick County Solid Waste Authority’s financial data at a special meeting held on Thursday, March 27, 2014, at the Commissioners Courtroom located at the County Courthouse Annex, 500 Quarry Street, in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Certified Public Accountant Milo Martinez of Martinez, Rosario & Company LLP of San Antonio, Texas presented Maverick County’s 2012 Financial Statements and Audit to Commissioners Court detailing a $2.3 Million budget deficit and advised them that the audit does not include any financial data of the Maverick County Solid Waste Authority, which operates the Maverick County Landfill, and his auditing firm was not providing an unqualified opinion as to the accuracy and truth of the County’s 2012 Financial Statements and Audit due to many inaccurate and poor accounting records practiced by the County.

After discussion, Commissioners Court unanimously approved Maverick County’s 2012 Financial Statements and Audit with the exceptions and shortcomings noted by Martinez.

Originally, the County’s 2012 Financial Statement and Audit should have been approved and filed by March 1, 2013. Due to inaccurate and poor accounting record-keeping practices exercised by the County, the 2012 Audit was not approved until 13 months later. Several state and federal government agencies were withholding funding of certain Maverick County programs due to the 2012 Audit not being approved and filed according to state law requirements. It is anticipated that these state and federal agencies will now work with Maverick County in funding certain programs which were awaiting the 2012 Audit being approved and filed.

The 2013 Maverick County Financial Statements and Audit is currently being worked on by the County Auditors Office, County Treasurers Office, and Martinez, Rosario & Company LLP as it too is past due with an original filing deadline of March 1, 2014. County Auditor Fidencio Ortiz advised Commissioners Court that his office was now working on the 2013 County financial data and expecting to complete it soon to turn over to Martinez, Rosario & Company LLP for their independent audit. It is unknown at this time when the 2013 Financial Statements and Audit will be presented to Commissioners Court for their review and approval.