SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Ariz. (KVOA) — The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is fighting back against a recent Arizona Auditor General report on nearly $40 million allegedly stolen by a former county treasurer.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is fighting back against a recent Arizona Auditor General report on nearly $40 million allegedly stolen by a former county treasurer.
Santa Cruz County and the Auditor General are blaming each other for overlooking the embezzlement allegations.
“It just doesn't make sense. I think everybody is trying to avoid responsibility for what they should have done,” said Rio Rico resident Roberto Esparza.
“I don't think it matters whose fault it is at this point. It happened,” Sonoita resident James Gottlob said.
Santa Cruz County residents are speaking out about the county's interactions with the Arizona Auditor General.
They claim that former Treasury Secretary Elizabeth Gutfer is responsible for not noticing that nearly $40 million went missing over a 10-year period.
The audit report noted that the supervisory board did not review the monthly cash reconciliation reports.
“It's easy to shift the blame onto others, but with the amount of money involved, that shouldn't be the case,” Esparza said.
The Santa Cruz County Supervisors fired back, saying, “It is clear that the office failed to utilize basic auditing principles in its oversight of the Santa Cruz County Treasurer.”
“The Auditor General's true motive for issuing this 'report' is therefore clear: to shift the blame from his own failings.”
Sonoita resident James Gottlob said when he heard county attorneys accuse Gutphal of stealing funds that were meant for infrastructure and other departments, he understood the situation and the impact the scandal has had on his community.
“When you drive here in Sonita, the first thing you notice is the roads are dirty,” Gottlob said.
Roberto Esparza thinks the same way.
“When I talked to the Department of Public Works and the Department of Flood Control, they just said they don't have the staffing and they don't have the budget,” Esparza said.
Santa Cruz County residents are caught in the crossfire of accountability.
So far, federal prosecutors have not filed criminal charges against Gutfer.
Every resident News 4 Tucson spoke with said both the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors and the Arizona State Auditor General should be investigated by a third party.
