News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Jackson County will receive an insurance payment to cover money stolen inside the County Clerk’s office.
Mayor Randy Heady said he has been working with the insurance company to come up with an accurate amount for compensation.
“We have an amount we believe is good,” Heady said. “The Clerk’s office ended up a little more than $50,000 in the hole for this past year, so we think we have that number taken care of.”
Former County Clerk Amanda Stafford resigned the office in May before pleading guilty later that month to two counts of theft over $2,500. She is suspected to have misappropriated over $25,000 in funds. Heady said Jackson County can only be reimbursed for funds they can prove are missing.
“It’s kind of like I mentioned at the County Commission meeting, if you have a wrecked car, you can turn in a claim you wrecked your car,” Heady said. “But they’re going to want to see the car. They’re going to want to know you actually wrecked your vehicle. It’s the same thing here.”
Part of the insurance process is providing documentation. Heady said there were a number of reports they turned over to their provider.
“One of the things we had to submit was the audit findings showing the shortage,” Heady said. “So, on our side, from the September-to-March that would have been what we did. We took audit findings where it showed where the money had came in, but it had not made it to the bank.”
Heady said another part of the insurance puzzle revolves around the investigations conducted by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office and the state Department of Revenue into Stafford’s activities.
“The other part had to do with the title fraud,” Heady said. “That’s kind of what we’re waiting on. We have to get that information from the Comptroller’s office and DA’s office, so the insurance company is working on obtaining that information.”
As he has taken on more of an active roll in supervising the Clerk’s office, Heady said he can at least ensure that daily operations are being handled properly.
“I know that daily deposits are being made,” Heady said. “I’m in there every other day just making sure that daily deposits and daily closeouts are happening. So, the office today, and I can tell you for the last two months, is closing out every day and they are also making daily deposits at the bank.”
At Monday night’s Jackson County Commission meeting, there was some discussion of continued disparities in the County Clerk’s office. Heady said those differences arise from monies that are owed each month.
“What was mentioned was there discrepancies from month-to-month on this day,” Heady said. “This is owed stuff that we’re finding from month-to-month. In other words, these are not transactions that the audit found, and these are not transactions that the Comptroller’s office found. It’s things we are seeing showing up in the daily day-to-day operations of the office. Those may or may not be recoverable.”
Heady said when the insurance company can get all the documentation it needs from the state, the payment should be dispersed to Jackson County.
