Starke County Prosecutor’s Office Coordinates With Indiana State Police on Wayne Township Audit Investigation

Between 2009 and 2016, approximately $20,278 was overpaid to the Trustee and Deputy Trustee of Wayne Township, according to information found in a 2017 Indiana State Board of Accounts audit.

After a compliance report allegedly uncovered some discrepancies with salary and rent payments in Wayne Township, the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office began coordinating with the Indiana State Police on an investigation into the accusations made against Trustee Clara Schacht and her husband, Deputy Trustee Donald Schacht. Continue reading

Starke County Councilwoman Defends Treasurer in Audit

Linda Belork

Starke County Councilwoman, Judy Benninghoff, still believes that the errors reported in the Treasurer’s office by the State Board of Accounts are actually errors in the Auditor’s office. In a release to WKVI, Benninghoff said that is backed up by an official in the State Board of Accounts.

“I called the State Board of Accounts and I spoke to Debbie Gibson, and she told me that the paragraph that was inserted in the Treasurer’s audit had nothing to do with the Treasurer,” said Benninghoff. “That pertained only to the Auditor. So, where it says that ‘beginning in March 2010 and continuing through 2011, there was a failure to post the entries pertaining to the remittance of various payroll withholdings’, that was true. That withholding fund is with the Auditor’s office, not in the Treasurer’s office.”

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Treasurer’s Office Audit Discussed by Starke County Council

Starke County Council President Mark Smith

The Starke County Council discussed the audit of the treasurer’s office at this week’s council meeting.  The council, at the recommendation of President Mark Smith and 1st Source Bank gave Auditor Kay Chaffins the ability to monitor various bank accounts and checking accounts.  Councilman Smith talked more about this action.

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