Missouri to audit the city of Willard

WILLARD, Mo. - The state of Missouri is auditing the city of Willard.

This announcement comes after nearly a year of petitioning for signatures by concerned citizens.

"I think there's huge benefit from having professional individuals come in and take a look at things and make sure everything's okay," said Willard City Administrator Wesley Young.

Neighbors in Willard tell Ozarks First the distrust in their government began when former mayor Corey Hendrickson resigned as alderman in 2023. That same day, he also pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

"There's a price sometimes for breaching trust," Young said. "And I think there's been some turmoil in the city's past. And hopefully that through doing this, citizens can restore some degree of trust in the city and operations."

After Hendrickson's guilty plea, Willard neighbors wanted the city to request a state audit, but the board never voted on it. That's when residents took it upon themselves to start a petition.

"They just wanted to make sure that there was no impropriety with access to financial stuff for the city of Willard," Young said. "And they want to make sure that the funds were accounted for and nothing went missing."

That petition gathered 406 signatures, and the state auditor agreed to investigate 2024 and a limited scope audit of 2023.

If they find anything suspicious, the state auditor could choose to expand their investigation.

"My personal feeling is it's an opportunity for improvement," Young said. "Why not embrace it with both hands?"

This audit is expected to cost taxpayers between $85,000 - $125,000.