TEXAS — Gov. Greg Abbott is launching an investigation into the City of Elgin over alleged “chronic financial mismanagement.”
Abbott on Thursday directed the Texas Rangers to open the investigation into the city’s budgeting processes and financial practices.
In a press release, the governor said the city had accusations of “inconsistent accounting practices and unreconciled bank accounts,” which he says are in potential violation of multiple laws.
“There have been serious and potentially criminal accusations made against the City of Elgin that need to be investigated,” Abbott said.
Any charges that result from the investigation will be brought to authorities for further action, he added.
In a statement, the city said it would cooperate with the investigation, adding that recent audits found no evidence of wrongdoing.
“The City of Elgin will cooperate fully with Governor Abbott’s recently announced investigation into the City’s finances. Recent audits conducted by an independent auditing firm for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 found no evidence of wrongdoing or criminal activity and no missing funds. Any issues discovered in the audits concerning accounting procedures are being addressed with current staff. All audits for the City can be found on the City’s website, elgintexas.gov.”
The city is holding a workshop to discuss the findings of the audits for fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24 on Nov. 5. The meeting is open to the public.