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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Ind. Gov't. - Still more on "Starke County commissioners remove treasurer from office"

Updating yesterday's ILB entries (the most recent being here), here are some additional stories on the Starke County treasurer situation. These are from K99.3 WKVI FM.

The first is dated Thursday, April 11th. Some quotes:

The Commissioners held an Executive Session meeting and then Commission President Dan Bridegroom read a prepared statement to the press and public.

“As a result of an unresolved issue from 2009 State Board of Accounts Audit of the Starke County Treasurer’s Office, county officials have instituted additional safeguards on county bank accounts. The safeguards will enhance review procedures that may result in modest delays in the availability of funds for payment of county checks. Delays should not exceed 48 hours.”

Following the reading of that statement, Commissioner Kathy Norem offered a motion that all employees of the Treasurer’s Office be terminated.

Commissioner Bridegroom and police officers, led by Sheriff Oscar Cowen, went to the Treasurer’s office where an immediate termination notice was read to employee Robin Lenig. The officers then told her to collect her belongings and escorted her out the door.

The second is dated Friday, April 12th. Some quotes, although you may want to read it, and the Starke readers' comments, in full:
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.

“I think at this point, now that we have filed a lawsuit on her bond, in accordance with Indiana Code 36-2-10-3, I make a motion that we remove the Treasurer from her office,” said Commissioner Kathy Norem. The vote passed unanimously.

A restraining order has been placed on Belork, the deputy Robin Lenig, and a part time employee Jennifer Norem. Both of the employees were terminated. They were later identified as relatives of the treasurer. * * *

Bridegroom said the amount of money that is unaccounted for is $890,000 and said an outside accounting firm will be required to find out where the missing money is.

“I think this is as far from normal bookkeeping as you can get. We will probably end up having to hire a firm or someone to come in and go through the books. Where we began, just in a conversation with the State Board of Accounts auditor, that every transaction that has come in and gone out of that office will have to be scrutinized. Every piece of paper that has come and gone, every check, cash, everything. I have no idea to say how long that would take. It’s going to be very cumbersome, very expensive, but it has to be done,” said Bridegroom.

In support of the suit, Starke County Auditor Kay Chafins said in the affidavit that she had received credible information including the State Board of Accounts audit of the treasurer’s office for 2009, that suggests that the acts of omissions of Linda Belork have caused or allowed to occur the loss, through negligence, misfeasance, or malfeasance of substantial public funds of the county. Chafins used a figure even higher than the one Bridegroom stated saying possibly it exceeded $900,000.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 13, 2011 03:53 PM
Posted to Indiana Government