Hamburg officials say clerk and treasurer are not accomplishing basics
From Sunshine Review
July 8, 2009 Hamburg Township Board of Trustees members revealed that the township's treasurer and clerk are not executing basic tasks, like required financial transactions.[1]
[edit] Not performing duties
The Board of Trustees said Clerk Matt Skiba and Treasurer Pat Evon are not performing their duties and so the board discussed emergency measures. The board said Evon has failed to disburse library, fire bond revenue, and special assessment funds into appropriate accounts. Several duties have been taken off Skiba’s hands, including handling the senior center and parks and recreation operations and last week he submitted a letter of resignation from his duty as FOIA coordinator, typically one of the responsibilities of township clerks.[1]
Supervisor Pat Hohl said about seven “significant” financial problems related to this neglect in the township may have a negative influence on the township’s audit and bond rating.
Evon works part time as treasurer. He said his office needed the board to approve a salary for his deputy, Cindy Pine, in order for it to run more efficiently. The board had questioned Pine's accounting and other credentials and voted against a $27,000 salary for her. Evon voted against this figure too, saying it was not sufficient. Pine recently resigned.
Deputy Clerk Michael Zeglevski still works without pay.
Skiba did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, having Zeglevski, who cannot vote as because he is not an elected official, sit in for him. Clerk Skiba was also absent at a special board meeting held last week.
Skiba has not produced minutes from the last three board meetings, according to Trustee Michael Dolan, putting the township in legal jeopardy.[1]
[edit] Reactions
Evon questioned whether the tasks the board listed that he did not complete fell within his duties under statute. Trustee Bill Hahn mentioned "open assignments," including moving long-term investments into shorter-term investments, making a list of all township certificates of deposits and a cash-flow analysis, and collecting $478,000 in delinquent taxes, the Livingston Daily reported.[1]
Evon has also been urged to seek "jeopardy assessments" from businesses that have gone bankrupt, such as Metaldyne. This process captures owed taxes before they can be forgiven in bankruptcy court.
"What is there left to do if we take away the FOIA coordinator? This is ridiculous," Hohl said about Skiba's resignation at FOIA coordinator. A new coordinator was not named Tuesday.
Hohl said Skiba is rarely available at his office, but Skiba said his office is "grossly understaffed."
The board voted Tuesday to permanently keep videotapes of meetings on file to have record of meetings.[1]
The Board decided to reject Skiba's resignation as FOIA Coordinator, as of Wednesday, 8 July 2009.[2]
[edit] External links
- Hamburg Township website
- Hamburg Township board of trustees website
- Hamburg Township clerk office website
- Hamburg Township treasurer office website
[edit] References
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