After days of speculation and rumor, the state audit of the Town of Ferriday was released to the public Monday — and the findings were not pretty.

Two former town employees allegedly cheated the taxpayers of Ferriday out of nearly $118,000 during a more than two-year period.

Allegedly the two bilked the money from the town coffers by simply not reporting cash payments for utility services. The missing cash totals more than $90,000.

We assume this figure includes at least a portion of the water bills residents paid during the months that the town was under a boil-water notice.

In addition to the disappearing cash, the two apparently cheated further by posting payments for their own utility bills, though no money was ever paid.

The results of the audit prove that corruption can seep in anywhere.

Ferriday’s town government was set up to have a system of checks and balances to help prevent such criminal mischief.

But no amount of checks and balances work when both sides of the equation join forces in a greedy effort to line their pockets.

Now the talk of criminal charges has begun. The matter has been handed over to the District Attorney for the Seventh Judicial District.

We urge the DA’s office to seriously look into the matter and seek out restitution for the financially strapped town of Ferriday.

And residents of Ferriday should get out and exercise their right to vote today. Voters should carefully select the mayoral candidate they feel can lead Ferriday out of the corruption and into the productive, progressive town we know it can become.