City of Friend fires employees for wasting taxpayer money

A state auditor's report found the city of Friend had been paying hundreds of thousands of dollars more for items such as pool chemicals and paper towels that were routinely sold to other Nebraska towns for much less.

According to a Lincoln Journal Star article,

"Auditors laid blame on the vague purchase descriptions provided to the council for review before it voted to approve such payments. 'This glaring and constant deficiency rendered the city council virtually incapable of making knowledgeable and fully informed decisions regarding approval of the claims presented,' the auditors said."

The AP reported that the city council "has upheld the firings of two employees accused of wasting money by paying too much for supplies".

The citizens of Friend will now suffer higher taxes because of this reporting error and lack of oversight.  This is a great example of how local government's everyday decisions can affect your property taxes.  It is because of events like this why it is so important for there to be rigorous reporting standards for local governments. 

More financial reporting is beneficial not only to the taxpayer, but also to the locally elected officials so they can make the best decisions for their community.