Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, June 8, 2022 — Page 13
HONORING 869+YEARS OF SERVICE
The Burke County Board of Education honored over 869+ years of service from retiring faculty
and staff May 24. Back (L-R): Sam Adkins, Tammy Norton, Antonio Young, Jeff Golden, Erin
Fulcher, Debbie Lively, Thaddeus Shubert, Nell Dixon, Sharon Roberson, Diane Williford, Re
becca Barefield, Regenia Jordan, Melissa Jones Front: Renitta Stokes-Johnson, Joan Stinson,
Susan Greiner, Gail Webster, Zabra Williams, Kelvin Brown, Marilyn Moody, Annie Frazier, Lisa
Brown, Annie Bennett Not pictured: Queen Stone, Laura Perkins, Lee Doyle, Margie Walker,
Julie Pearson, Burnese Lovett, Johnson Moore, Kelly Reed, Yvonne Swanagin, and Kathy Wren
MUST NATIONAL
County
that based on his own legal
consultation, he believed the
county was not involved in the
grants and had no say over how
those funds were spent. “To
this end,” his letter read, “we
will not relinquish any funds to
the county government.”
According to county docu
ments and emails reviewed
by The True Citizen, officials
first became aware of the grant
funds back in April, after the
sheriff made reference to them
during a work session with the
commission on April 14. Up
until that point, the commis
sion and the county manager’s
office had believed those grants
had not been renewed for the
2022 fiscal year. That belief
was based on numerous emails
with Williams and his staff as
well as public statements by
the sheriff, frustrated by the
need for such outside funding.
By April 19, county officials
had confirmed the BCSO had
received two grants totaling
$425,000. The first, in the
amount of $50,000, was pro
vided thru an agreement with
the Waynesboro Housing Au
thority. That agreement, dated
Aug .18,2021, laid out specific
services to be provided by the
BCSO on Housing Authority
properties in Waynesboro.
According to Burke Coun
ty Finance Director Michael
Wiseman, the BCSO had pre
viously received this grant
in 2017 and in the 2019 thru
2021 fiscal years. In each of
those years, the funds had been
received by the county and ap
propriated through the budget
process to the sheriff’s office.
In a Dec. 14,2021, email to
BCSO Budget Analyst Austin
Miettunen, County Manager
Merv Waldrop asked when the
county would be receiving the
Housing Authority grant for
the upcoming year.
Miettunen responded, “I
have no timetable on the funds
being made available.”
According to documents
provided by the county, how
ever, the $50,000 had been
deposited into a BCSO ac
count at First National Bank of
Waynesboro two months prior
on Sept. 17,2021.
Documents also show the
$375,000 “Vogtle Safety
Grant” was handled in the
same manner. Three deposits
of $125,000 each were made
into the BCSO account be
tween Oct. 8 and Nov. 15,
2021.
An agreement signed by the
sheriff and Glen E. Chick, Ex
ecutive Vice President for Plant
Vogtle units 3 & 4, and dated
Oct. 4, 2021, lays out a list of
services to be provided by the
BCSO over the next 18 months
in exchange for the fund
ing. Those services include
increased traffic enforcement
and daily patrols in and around
Plant Vogtle.
Multiple emails sent in early
2022 between county staff,
the commissioners, Williams
and BCSO staff discuss the
2021 Vogtle grant running out
in mid-February and question
how to continue paying four
deputy positions being fund
ed through that year’s grant.
Williams nor his staff appear
to have ever alerted county
officials that his office had
received the money months
before.
Beyond the dispute over who
should hold those funds are
questions about how Williams
has spent that money since last
year. At the county’s request,
Williams turned over bank
statements for the accounts
to the county’s independent
auditing firm, Lanier, Deal &
Proctor, CPAs, in Statesboro,
for September 2021 through
April 30, 2022. Williams has
turned down multiple requests
by both the county and the
auditor for copies of additional
records. Williams has stated he
will allow those documents to
be viewed at the BCSO only.
In a phone interview Tues
day, Wiseman said the county
had received the May 2022
bank statements that morning
and that he and the auditor
had an appointment to view
financial records at the BCSO
next Monday, June 13.
The auditor’s review of the
bank statements previously
provided reveal expenses to
taling $96,816.43 during that
eight-month period. Many of
those expenses appear to be
unrelated to the actual law en
forcement work for which the
grants were provided.
They include over $35,000
in unknown credit card ex
penses, more than $20,000 in
attorneys’ fees and over $6,200
in costs associated with the
leasing of a third office build
ing for BCSO staff. The report
also includes thousands of dol
lars in donations to charitable
organizations or functions as
well as unexplained payments
to individuals including BCSO
staff, Williams himself, and his
daughter.
Besides the lack of public
scrutiny over the sheriff’s
accounts, Waldrop says Wil
liams’ actions could affect the
county’s financial reputation in
the future.
“Because the sheriff did not
properly disclose the amount of
cash in his possession, we did
not submit an accurate finan
cial statement,” Waldrop said.
“It gives the appearance of
hiding money from the public,
your auditor and the state of
Georgia. That can jeopardize
the county’s ability to apply for
other grants in the future and
have an effect on the county’s
bond rate. Plus it just looks bad
to the public.”
Waldrop said that since the
county had not been able to
adequately review the expenses
passing through the accounts,
they don’t know at this point if
anything illegal may have tak
en place or needs to be referred
to another agency, such as the
Georgia Bureau of Investiga
tion (GBI) for further review.
Waldrop also said the county
may be forced to hie some sort
of suit against the sheriff if he
continues to withhold the grant
funds from the county.
The True Citizen made at
tempts to reach Sheriff Wil
liams by phone, text, and email.
Those requests for comment
went unanswered.
Continued from front
WHERE IS THE
MONEY GOING?
The county’s independent
auditor has identified over
$96,000 that has passed
through the BCSO ac
counts. Some of those
expenses include:
Credit Card payments
$35,126.36
Hull Barrett, attorney fees
$20,115.00
Burke Co Health
Foundation
$10,000.00
250 E. 6th St. office
space $6,204.00
Crystal Berry
$4,576.43
Ginn Motor Company
$4,397.00
Katerworks
(Christmas party)
$3,719.10
Alfonzo Williams
$552.00
Forces United
(golf tournament)
$500.00
Chandler Williams
$480.00
Lee Webster
$400.00
First National Bank of Waynesboro recently celebrated the re-opening of its Drive-through facility
on Myrick Street. The branch had been closed for several months while undergoing a complete
renovation. It now has four lanes, fully staffed with equipment inside that help move more trans
actions. Nan Palmer Lynch said that the first Friday of every month will feature a giveaway to all
customers at the location. Also the 1,905th customer (honoring the bank’s founding in 1905)
each month will receive a special collapsible tote.
The Waynesboro Optimist Club recognized Burke County High School student Jada Curd
with the Student of the Year award. Left to right are Gail Webster, BCHS Work-Based Learning
Coordinator, Radeta Smith, Burke County Clerk of Superior Court, rising senior Jada Curd and
Ashley Moore Jr. President of the Waynesboro Optimist Club.
Mobile Detailing
Power Washing
Ashton Parker
706-526-1640
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