BOONE, Iowa—A special investigation by the State Auditor of the Boone County Historical Society has revealed a number of issues. Auditor of State Rob Sand noted the Historical Society’s bank balances decreased from more than $350,000 on January 1, 2016 to just over $12,200 on September 30, 2018. The report identified insufficient budgeting, inadequate fiscal oversight and the cost of certain construction projects. The biggest issue seemed to be the repair of the facade on the History Center which was completed before a Community Attraction and Tourism Grant was awarded which meant those funds could not be used for that work. Several other questionable disbursements were identified and noted.
The report was requested by the City of Boone and does include recommendations to strengthen the current Boone County Historical Societies internal controls and operations, such as improvements to the budgeting process, better fiscal management and stronger oversight by the Board. Current Board President, Jessica Stanley in a statement released Wednesday said, “”The Society’s current Board of Directors feels better knowing about these past occurrences, so we can better prevent similar issues going forward.”
The Society’s current Board of Directors wants to assure its membership and the citizens of Boone County that we are being completely transparent and are already working on ways to improve our museums and guidelines so we can open to the public soon and continue to be a valued resource to Boone County.
