Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Rangers on Wednesday to investigate the City of Elgin over allegations of financial mismanagement and potential legal violations.<\/p>\n
The probe<\/a> into the small Central Texas<\/a> city comes amid accusations of chronic financial mismanagement that could violate state law.<\/p>\n \u201cThere have been serious and potentially criminal accusations made against the City of Elgin that need to be investigated,\u201d Abbott said<\/a> in a statement. \u201cTexans expect their elected officials to be honest stewards of taxpayer dollars and conduct the people\u2019s business openly, and in compliance with Texas law.\u201d<\/p>\n The governor cited specific concerns about inconsistent accounting practices and unreconciled bank accounts. He directed Rangers to examine the city\u2019s budgeting processes and financial practices.<\/p>\n \u201cDue to the accusations of chronic financial mismanagement, including inconsistent accounting practices and unreconciled bank accounts, in potential violation of multiple state laws, I directed the Texas Rangers to launch an investigation into the City of Elgin\u2019s finances to ensure transparency and full compliance with state law,\u201d Abbott said.<\/p>\n Elgin Mayor Theresa McShan is under fire after acknowledging that roughly $10 million in city funds cannot be accounted for, telling residents at a recent meeting that there are no plans for a forensic audit, the Wharton Post reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n A video posted to social media captured McShan saying, \u201cWe can\u2019t go back and find it. We don\u2019t have the people to ask, we don\u2019t have a clue how it was done. Going back will never get you anywhere if you\u2019re going backwards \u2014 we need to figure out what to do moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n