Hard on the heels of news that the Richmond school system’s grant-making department is riddled with financial-control problems comes word that the Department of Social Services has overbilled the state by nearly $4 million. The revelations come on top of audits revealing horrendously poor management of procurement in the city school system and the city as a whole; widespread abuse of city gasoline credit cards; the abuse of automobile allowances by top city officials; and much more.

While the average taxpayer may recoil when he hears the word “audit,“ he might embrace it when applied to local governments and how they spend tax dollars. For example, a recent audit in Goochland County turned up almost $200,000 in undeposited utilities checks. The county has had to begin a forensic audit of the utilities department that could cost up to $50,000, and another top-down audit of the county has been approved for later this year, at a cost of up to $15,000.