The Winamac Town Council is taking steps to formalize how the town’s park manager gets paid. While Park Manager Dave DeLorenzo’s salary is part of the park board’s budget, he’s still technically paid by the town council, according to Town Attorney Justin Schramm.
Former Pulaski Sheriff Gayer Indicted on Multiple Charges
Culver School Board Approves Policies for 2016-2017
The Culver Community Schools Corporation is busy preparing for the upcoming school year. Interim Superintendent Chuck Kitchell told the school board Monday that one of the changes in 2016-2017 is the official consolidation of the middle and high schools into one facility. Continue reading
Former Sheriff, Chief Deputy Under Investigation
A former sheriff is the subject of a criminal investigation into alleged misappropriation of funds and missing equipment. A State Board of Accounts audit of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department released this morning found missing firearms valued at more than $7,500 and ammunition purchases of more than $13,000 between 2011 and 2014. The latter are incompatible with the firearms in inventory and used by the county sheriff’s officers, according to the audit. Mike Gayer was sheriff at that time. He retired at the end of 2014 due to term limits. Continue reading
Severance Pay for County Home Employees on Hold until State Provides Answers
The Pulaski County Council members will need more information from the state to see if any severance pay can be issued to the employees at Pleasant View Rest Home.
The council members discussed the issue briefly Monday night.
The county home is expected to close on March 31, and the commissioners had discussed the possibility of severance pay last week. County Attorney Kevin Tankersley previously said the county can’t give bonuses. The money isn’t theirs to spend in that kind of fashion. Tankersley also said the county can’t pay for work that isn’t done.
Starke County Council Reluctantly Accepts Budget Cuts
“I really felt like you guys all did a really great job in getting together and preparing a budget that I thought was very slim. We have a very slim levy in Starke County, and personally I was very disappointed in the state, but the state came back and said we have to shave $465,000 off our budget,” Pearman said.
Ten Counts Filed Against Former North Judson Clerk-Treasurer
Ten counts have been filed in the Starke Circuit Court against former North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Connie Miller. The charges, which were filed Aug. 22, allege that Miller took unauthorized control over cemetery lot sales, utility receipts, and other deposits and payments from the town during her time as clerk-treasurer.
The charges stem from a special report for the Town of North Judson filed by the State Board of Accounts earlier this year citing alleged financial discrepancies totaling $74,408.67 during the period of time between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2011. Miller was asked to reimburse the town for the alleged discrepancies.
Special Deputy Prosecutor Michael P. Krebes filed the charges against Miller, which consist of nine counts of Theft and one count of Official Misconduct as Class D felonies. The counts of Theft allege Miller kept money from equipment purchases, employee reimbursements, police department receipts, ordinance violation payments, utility customer deposits, and a number of other receipts from the town of North Judson.
Miller’s initial hearing is set for Aug. 31 at 9 a.m. in the Starke Circuit Court.
Hearing Set For Monday In Case Against Connie Miller
The Attorney General filed a civil lawsuit against former North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Connie Miller last week.
The lawsuit stems from a special report for the Town of North Judson filed by the State Board of Accounts earlier this year citing alleged financial discrepancies totaling $74,408.67 during the period of time between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2011. Miller was asked to reimburse the town for the alleged discrepancies.
Miller, in a letter to the state board of accounts, wrote that she “strenuously objected to any allegations or suggestions” that she had “done any wrong for personal gain.” She also wrote that she was confident that the discrepancies set out in the report can be rectified.
North Judson Town Board Discusses Audit Report
The North Judson Town Board this week discussed an audit report from the State Board of Accounts for the audit that had been performed for the town in January and February. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says the report is available online at www.in.gov/sboa, and an official record is available in her office.
Henry says the meeting included some discussion over the audit, which identified financial discrepancies totaling $74,408.67 with the majority of discrepancies in the cemetery lot sales category. Based on the information posted in the cemetery book, and the confirmations that were returned with receipts, the examiners determined that $40,350 was collected for cemetery lots sales but that amount was not receipted to the records. Former Clerk-Treasurer Connie Miller was requested to reimburse the town for this amount, but in a letter to the state board of accounts, Miller wrote that she “strenuously objected to any allegations or suggestions” that she had “done any wrong for personal gain.”
Starke County Councilwoman Defends Treasurer in Audit
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.”
Starke County Commissioners Receive 47TR Report from Treasurer’s Office
The Starke County Commissioners received the “47TR” figures from one of the interim employees in the Treasurer’s office this week. That report is sent to the state each month showing that the figures balance with the bank receipts.
In an answer to a question from Commission President Dan Bridegroom, Casey Clark stated they still are not balancing, but “they are working on it.” By working with the Auditor’s office, the monthly figures are now balancing, but they are still off $46,000, according to Clark. That figure is a combination of money that is unaccounted for in 2010, and what she has found back to May of 2011
Starke County Commissioners to Meet in Executive Session to Discuss Treasurer’s Audit
The Starke County Commissioners are getting together in Executive Session this afternoon to analyze the 2010 Treasurer’s audit released this week by the State Board of Accounts.
Although the report pointed out that there were hundreds of thousands of book-keeping discrepancies, all but $21,906 has been found. When granted access to the county’s bank account statements and depository records, County Auditor, Kay Chaffins, was able to investigate the material.
2010 Audit of Treasurer’s Office Received by Starke County Commissioners
The Indiana State Board of Accounts has completed the 2010 audit of the Starke County Treasurer’s Office. Starke County officials have been anxious to receive the report that will complete the most recent bookkeeping activities in the Treasurer’s Office that the Board will audit. The report is now in the hands of county officials.
Treasurer Linda Belork was removed from office by the County Commissioners after irregularities in the 2009 accounts were reported by the State Board of Accounts. The Commissioners also removed the deputies from office and named Casey Clark and Michelle Snowdon to handle the day-to-day activities in the office until the matter is straightened out.
Starke County Commissioners Terminate Treasurer Employees
The Starke County Commissioners Thursday removed county treasurer Linda Belork from office. The action was taken after the commissioners received a state audit of the office in which there were a considerable number of irregularities found. The commissioners have filed a complaint for default on the surety bond and damages. The surety bond company, Ohio Casualty Insurance, and Treasurer Linda Belork are named as defendants in the suit. Commissioner Kathy Norem asked for the removal, seconded by Jennifer Davis.
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