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By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

An audit finding regarding the bonding of three Lowndes County Commissioners by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts for Oct. 1, 2013 through Sept. 30, 2014 has been “taken care of,” according to Lowndes County Commission Administrator Jackie Thomas.

According to an audit report released Friday, Sept. 22, while the commission’s financial statements presented fairly in all material respects regarding its financial position for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30,2014, there was a finding that related to the “commission’s failure to adequately bond three commissioners during the audit period.”

The audit referred to bonds for Commissioners Dickson Farrior, Joseph Barganier and Brenson Crenshaw.

It was recommended that the commission should comply with the Code of Alabama 1975, Section 11-2-20, to provide adequate bonds for all county commissioners.

When contacted, Thomas said that finding has been “taken care of.” She said all commissioners were bonded, but an increase was needed.

Thomas said when she first became administrator, the bond for commissioners was $10,000, but a law was passed to increase the bond to 2 percent of the commission’s budget or no more than $50,000.

She said the bond of all five commissioners, Carnell McAlpine, Dickson Farrior, Joseph Barganier, Robert Harris and Joshua Simmons have now all been upped to $50,000.