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Groveport Council reacts to misplaced water bill funds
(by Rick Palsgrove, Southeast Editor - February 23, 2010)
A batch of Groveport water bill funds that was misplaced in the municipal building for nearly four months stirred questions and tension at Groveport Village Council's Feb. 22 meeting.
Visibly and audibly angry, Councilman Shawn Cleary said to village administrative personnel, "I'm very upset. Something's not right. Daggone it, it's just not right. I just found out about this Feb. 12 and it (the money) had been missing since Oct. 21. You say you may not have to notify council, but I'm saying you notify me if money is missing!"
From Oct. 21, 2009 until Feb. 12, 2010, the village of Groveport lost track of a batch of water bill payments that included $8,176 in checks and $80.96 in cash, according to village records.
According to Groveport Finance Director Ken Salak, normally the village deposits its water bill collections within 24 hours, but a batch of payments from Oct. 21 were compiled too late in the day for deposit and too late to be placed in the village's safe. According to Salak, a village clerical employee locked the batch of payments in a cabinet in her office with the intent of depositing the money the next day. However, this employee then went on an extended medical leave and the batch was forgotten.
Salak said November's accounting reconciliations and customers stating their checks had not been cashed alerted the village of a problem. Replacement checks were obtained from customers and deposited. Salak said it later came to officials' attention that the batch also included $80.96 in cash.
Salak said a search of the Groveport Municipal Building ensued on Feb. 12 and the batch, including all $8,176 in original checks and the $80.96 in cash, was found in the cabinet where it had been locked up since October.
Salak said all the money has since been deposited and no money was lost from the batch.
"It's the only time in my tenure that we ever misplaced a deposit," said Salak. "We make every effort to keep track of funds."
Like Cleary, Councilman Ed Rarey expressed concerns over the issue. He said he first he heard of the matter when he read about it in the Southeast Messenger (Feb. 21 edition).
"I'm concerned about our procedure in handling money," said Rarey in a measured tone. "I'm disappointed to learn of this situation."
No other council member addressed the issue publicly.
Mayor Lance Westcamp said he was informed about the lost batch of water bill monies.
"I wasn't a happy camper," said Westcamp.
The mayor said he handled the situation in a closed door session with village personnel and corrections were made.
"As far as I'm concerned it's over," said Westcamp.
Speaking at the meeting, resident Scott Clinger expressed concerns about the village's handling of public monies.
"I expect folks in the village to manage money like its my money," said Clinger.
Clinger cited the lost batch of water bill payments, as well as a separate incident where a village employee was fired Feb. 12 for alleged misfeasance and malfeasance in connection with the misappropriation of approximately $2,017 of village funds on multiple occasions from March 30, 2009 to July 1, 2009, including $88.68 of these funds allegedly still missing. (The employee maintains her innocence.)
"Apparently there's some serious mismanagement," alleged Clinger.
Groveport Law Director Kevin Shannon said the two issues taken together cannot be labeled mismanagement.
"It's a mischaracterization to do so," said Shannon.
Shannon said the village cannot discuss further details connected with the employee's firing as legal action is pending. He did state that in the separate case of the lost batch of water bill funds "errors occurred."
(See related story, "Money missing from Groveport water bill fund," columbusmessenger.com/NC/0/7854.html
online at www.columbusmessenger.com. Look under Southeast News.)
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