The State Auditor’s Office has found that the Gwinner Rural Fire Protection District used public funds to purchase alcohol and groceries for its staff and volunteers. From 2015 until 2020, $28,080 was spent on alcohol, groceries, and golf outings.
The state constitution and state law do not allow for public funds to be used for those types of purchases.
The audit also found that the Gwinner Fire District had no documentation for 12 of 32 expenditures tested, totaling $26,416. It’s important to keep receipts or other documentation of purchases to verify that items purchased were for the operations of the Fire District.
“We appreciate the hardworking firefighters who serve communities across our state,” said State Auditor Joshua Gallion. “This is an opportunity for the Gwinner Fire District to be better stewards of public funds. These recommendations provide a roadmap for the Fire District to continue serving their community.”
The complete audit report can be found here.