A former mayor of Excelsior Estates in Missouri allegedly misused city funds to pay himself over $37,000 and funneled more than $200,000 to his businesses, a state audit report revealed on Tuesday. According to the report, Gary Fesenmeyer Sr. issued checks from city funds to himself and his two businesses without proper documentation, totaling approximately $306,000 from 2014 to 2021.
The audit also revealed poor oversight and procedures within the city, with city officials failing to address concerns regarding the payments to Fesenmeyer in a timely manner. The city’s records were found to be disorganized, stored in a makeshift trailer made from a pickup truck, leading to violations of the Missouri Clean Water Law and failure to complete required audits.
Following Fesenmeyer’s termination and the city’s decision to cease using his sewer business, Excelsior Estates became compliant with clean water laws. The city also failed to file financial reports in accordance with state law, incurred overdraft and maintenance charges totaling $500, and allegedly violated other state laws and the Missouri Constitution, including the Sunshine Law.
The current board of aldermen in Excelsior Estates is reportedly working with state officials to implement necessary changes in response to the audit findings. The audit was initiated based on a whistleblower complaint to the state auditor’s office.
Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick expressed regret over the mismanagement of taxpayer dollars but emphasized the importance of addressing these issues to prevent similar problems in the future. Officials from Excelsior Estates were unavailable for immediate comment following the release of the audit report.
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