PDF: Cash Shortages Report for 2009
Over the last three years, quietly and with few headlines, county employees across the region have lost or stolen about $117,000 from various county governments.
That’s according to an audit released by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, which outlines dozens of “cash shortages” across the state.
In the Chattanooga region, six counties reported misplaced or stolen cash.
Bledsoe, Cumberland, McMinn, Monroe, Polk and Sequatchie counties appear in the document, which is posted on the comptroller’s website.
Comptroller Justin Wilson said the report is an effort to let the public know how its tax dollars are being handled.
“First of all, it gives Tennesseans easy access to important financial information about their county governments, which serves the purpose of increasing transparency in government,” said Wilson. “Also, bringing this information to light may help reduce fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars in the future.”
The report doesn’t surprise Sequatchie County Executive Michael Hudson, who said all the discrepancies in his county were uncovered previously and most of the money has been reimbursed.
“The report can be a little misleading,” Hudson said. “In most cases, if the money was misappropriated, the employee was terminated immediately and our insurance reimbursed us.”
Here is a rundown of what’s in the report:
BLEDSOE COUNTY
In 2006, $2,000 was misplaced or stolen when the sheriff closed a Christmas charity checking account. The cash proceeds from the account, which were going to be handed over to a nonprofit holiday charity, were misplaced before being handed over. The sheriff reimbursed the funds.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
The county lost more than $8,800 from 2006 to 2009 when school maintenance employees sold scrap metal that belonged to the county. The case is under criminal investigation, the report states.
MCMINN COUNTY
A county courts employee faces criminal charges for allegedly stealing about $15,000 from 2006 to 2009. The money was supposed to be applied to court fees, but the employee is accused of pocketing many of the cash payments. She was fired and has been indicted by a grand jury.
MONROE COUNTY
A sheriff’s office employee faces criminal charges of embezzling $30,000 from the jail’s commissary. The report shows the employee simply failed to deposit the money or waited far longer than the law requires to make deposits.
POLK COUNTY
A school system employee was accused of taking about $12,000 by exercising control of county property and collecting rent on county-owned land. She was tried and acquitted.
Another Polk County schools employee used county welding equipment for his personal benefit. His misuse cost the county about $1,000, which he agreed to repay under a plea deal.
SEQUATCHIE COUNTY
A jail employee faced criminal action for stealing from the commissary. Nearly $9,000 was taken when deposits weren’t properly made. The employee entered pretrial diversion and agreed to repay the money.
About $2,000 taken from inmates booked into the Sequatchie County Jail was missing during an official audit. The money was supposed to be deposited in an official bank account, but it never was, the report said. Most of the money has been accounted for.
Murky rules at the Sequatchie County schools caused an accounting error, the report says. Roughly $30,000 in overtime charges, which were supposed to be paid by a grant, weren’t accounted for properly. Sequatchie Executive Hudson said the error has been fixed.
State Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, said the comptroller’s report is an important way to let the public know how tax dollars are being spent. Watson serves on the Senate Governmental Oversight Committee, which reviews many of the comptroller’s reports.
“It’s the public’s money and they should know how it’s being spent, or in this case, how it’s being mishandled,” Watson said.