Ridgeview News received word that $32,920.33 was missing from the Emergency Services E-911 Reimbursement Fund. Upon requesting an interview with Commissioner Eric Lupardus, I was informed that the County Clerk, Jean Simers had informed the County Commission that this issue was found after the Administrator brought it to her attention. During last night’s meeting, Mrs. Simers suggested that this might have been a mistake by a tax deputy who took early retirement on August 15th. This morning, Clerk Simmers stated “One check (#2838) was coded incorrectly in the sheriff’s office. It should have been coded as (#390) – (E911 Reimbursements) but was receipted as (#382) (Refunds/Reimbursements).”
Mr. Lupardus said that “This highlights the value of the County Administrator’s diligence. Implementing a careful system of checks and balances is crucial to catch mistakes or potential fraud. I hope that courthouse offices will be more open to collaborating with the commission moving forward, as we all have a role to play, and having additional oversight can only be beneficial.
I then asked Commissioner Lupardus when the $31,920.33 was discovered missing? I was informed by him that “The County Administrator discovered that the funds were not in the appropriate line item and were thus unaccounted for. There was a verbal agreement for the Clerk to send weekly reports to the administrator, but after several months without this happening, President Arthur arranged for the commission to have “read-only” access to the accounting software. This allows us to view real-time budget activity, which is essential for our understanding and responsibility. I’m unsure why Clerk Simers has openly denied the commission full access, as this would establish a robust system of checks and balances and improve our understanding of the daily budgeting process across county offices, helping us better prepare next year’s budget. As per WV Code 7-1-5, the duties of the County Commission are “To supervise the general management of the fiscal affairs and business of the county.”
Ridgeview News asked Commissioner Lupardus if the matter was investigated, for which he answered the Clerk had been asked by the Calhoun County Commission to find the $32,920.33, which she did and reported back to them.
