LaPorte County Soil and Water board to appeal higher State Board of Accounts audit fee

The LaPorte County Soil and Water Conservation District board on June 2 decided to pursue an appeal after the district received a State Board of Accounts audit bill of $5,417.45, a substantial rise from the roughly $700 audit fee recorded in 2021.

The treasurer told the board the higher charge would take a meaningful share of the district’s available program money and said they had already contacted Liz Rice, head of the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD), for guidance on appeals and potential reductions. The board asked the treasurer to draft a letter on behalf of the board for review and signatures.

Board members noted Newton County had contested its fee in a prior case and achieved a reduced bill in that instance; the group directed the treasurer to follow up on that example and report back. No final decision on the appeal’s form or a deadline for filing was recorded in the meeting minutes.

The treasurer framed the appeal as fiscally important because the district receives Clean Water Indiana and related funding; board members said the unanticipated cost would erode program dollars. The district clerk or treasurer will circulate a draft letter to board members for approval before submission to the State Board of Accounts or IASWCD contacts.

Next procedural steps: the treasurer will prepare the draft appeal and report on Newton County’s outcome; the board did not take a formal vote to authorize a specific dollar-based remedy during the meeting.