"They make Boss Hogg look like a Sunday school teacher," says Sheriff
After a state audit revealed massive corruption, the Florida town of Hampton could be completely wiped off the map if state lawmakers have their way, CNN reports.
Critics of the town (population less than 500) argue that it has long existed for the sole purpose of enforcing a speed trap on a 1,260-foot stretch of highway. Issued tickets (12,698 between 2011 and 2012, according to the New York Times) resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
But where did the money go? No one knows. Auditors were told by city officials that some of the records were "lost in the swamp," according to CNN.
CNN notes that while it does have a bloated police department, the town isn't filled with McMansions or flashy cars.
But there are some signs of extravagance. The excess in fines allegedly resulted in a city clerk being overpaid to the tune of $9,000. Perhaps most amazing, according to the audit, city employees charged $132,000 on an account at a BP convenience store located next to City Hall. Other alleged offenses include a failure to insure city police cars and failure to track what became of the revenue that came from ticketing motorists.
Now, state officials — including State Senator Rob Bradley — are seeking to erase the city and make it a part of Bradford County.
"It's like something out of a Southern Gothic novel," Bradley told Time magazine. "This town exists apparently just to write speeding tickets. Most people don't understand why it exists in the first place."
