Are you considering hiring a contractor for a construction project? A paint job for your house? An asphalt driveway? Marion County Sheriff Ron Goemaat tells KNIA/KRLS news that if you are, you should consider hiring a local contractor with references. The Marion County Sheriff’s office has recently received complaints of shoddy and incomplete work being done by non-local contractors. In recent years scams have also been reported, where non-local contractors receive a down payment, then ask for more money, and leave before the work is finished. Goemaat stresses that if a contractor is not known, and if they are not local, disputes are difficult to resolve in the court system. He suggests that the buyer beware–especially when using non-local contractors.