A team of out-of-towners started poring over Buchanan County’s books Monday, part of a week-long independent audit of the county’s finances.

And local officials are crossing their fingers for outside auditors to come back with a clean bill of health.

The St. Louis firm of Charles Buchanan, CPA, handed back imperfect, or “qualified,” audits to the county for not officially documenting inter-fund transfers in 2007 and 2008.

In response, County Commission staff now writes up a court order for every account transfer, County Auditor Nancy Nash explained to Mr. Buchanan Monday morning.

That was the county’s only official blemish in 2008 and Ms. Nash said she was hopeful of receiving a perfect or “unqualified” audit this year since the issue had been resolved.

Mr. Buchanan said, “Unless something new comes up ...”

“... we’re looking good — hopefully,” Ms. Nash added.

“It’s the first day, though,” the accountant finished.

An unqualified audit would help improve the county’s bond rating, she said.

“It’s just simply for the sake of the taxpayers,” she told the News-Press. “It lets them know their money is being properly spent and accounted for.”

While the inter-fund transfer was the only fault, or qualification, auditors wrote up for the county, the accountant raised a concern in 2008 that hasn’t been fully addressed.

Mr. Buchanan said he was surprised Monday to learn the county hadn’t yet purchased new accounting software.

The current system doesn’t provide the county with financial statements. They have to be done manually.

The firm last year charged the county an extra $3,000 on top of its $16,000 fee because of the extra time and paperwork involved.

Commissioners in 2009 budgeted $50,000 for a new system, but Ms. Nash said it wasn’t enough.

For instance, software from New World she considered that would provide the substantial and necessary upgrades would cost the county $54,000 a year a year for five years — a difficult pitch to make when officeholders are being asked to trim budgets, she said.

An annual outside financial audit for governmental agencies is mandated by state law. This year’s audit will cost the county a base fee of $16,500.

Alyson E. Raletz can be reached

at alysonraletz@npgco.com.