Township trustees were angry when they found out an extra $40,000 was added to the new Township Hall’s $800,000 budget.
‘It’s none of my business, I don’t know what I am talking about, you should stay out of it, and it will come in under budget ? that’s what I’ve been hearing since I’ve got on the board,? said Trustee David Lohmeier. ‘I have faced intimidation, anger and fingers in my face every time I asked about expenses on this township hall.?
Lohmeier said it was the board’s responsibility.
‘This is where the buck stops, it’s our responsibility we went over budget,? he said.
Trustee Neil Wallace didn’t feel the responsibility was on everyone.
‘There were a few of us who were persistent in trying to learn what was going on. The prior board tied our hands and the majority of this board doubled the knot, so I don’t take any responsibility for this,? he said. ‘I would like nothing better than to be done once and for all then having to talk about the fiasco that is this township hall.?
The budget adjustment was approved, May 5, under ‘Operating Transfers? to the Building Fund in a memo to the board by Finance Director Susan Hendricks.
‘How that was written, who could have understood that,? Petterson asked. ‘I thought it was going into the building department, not the building’s $800,000 fund, because we have lots of funds.?
Supervisor Dave Wagner said ‘building fund? has always been a common accounting name ‘everybody is aware of that.
‘When it says ‘increase to building fund,? that’s to fund this building,? he said. ‘There is no other building.?
Hendricks agreed.
When asked if she was advised to write the memo in such a way where it was unclear, she responded, ‘you’re not going to get me to comment on that.?
However, Hendricks said she advised the board not to approve the adjustments May 5 and to take more time to look over the memo.
She said she didn’t know what the extra $40,000 was for.
Wagner said Carson wanted the money for signage for the building and new building furnishings.
However, Carson said signs and furnishings ‘had nothing to do with that (the money).?
Lohmeier said if it was an intentional way of ‘slipping something through,? then it’s ‘the worst? he has seen.
‘There is no excuse for it,? Lohmeier said. ‘That’s like something you would see in the federal government.?