County News
www.oglecountynews.com
Ogle County Newspapers, Thursday, February 13, 2014, Page A7
Officials look to add new rules for Tow Fund By Matt Mencarini Sauk Valley Media Ogle County officials are looking to add specific rules on how the sheriff can use a controversial fund that he can spend at his discretion. On Tuesday, the Ogle County Board’s Executive Committee was expected discuss making changes to an ordinance that has allowed the sheriff to collect more than $200,000 for use at his discretion. In October 2011, the Ogle County Board approved the ordinance that created the sheriff’s department’s administrative tow fund. “We set it up fairly loosely, and we shouldn’t have,” current County Board Chairman Kim Gouker said. The Executive Committee was slated to have the ordinance on the agenda for its Tuesday meeting, said Gouker, who added that it was Sheriff Michael Harn’s idea to make changes. “The sheriff decided that there’s just so much controversy about it that we’re going to change it,” Gouker said. “That’s why we’re doing it now.” In December, Sauk Valley
Media reported that Harn had used the tow fund, which exists outside the county’s budget, to pay for repairs to department vehicles, a tent at the Ogle County Fair, a $4,000 management fee for the department’s Facebook page, and flowers for secretary’s day, among other expenses.
Tow fund details On Dec. 16, the day the story about tow fund expenditures was published, Sauk Valley Media sent the Sheriff’s Department a Freedom of Information Act request for all information related to revenue going into the tow fund, along with two other requests. In a letter dated Dec. 23, Harn extended the deadline by five business days, which would take it to Dec. 31. On Jan. 14, Harn said the documents could possibly be ready that week, adding that the delay was due to his department spending extra time to redact all sensitive information, like account numbers and bank routing numbers. The 451 pages of documents weren’t available until Jan. 21, which was
Additional documents have been requested In addition to asking for tow fund documents, Sauk Valley Media submitted a Freedom of Information Act request on Dec. 16 for the September 2012 bill from the Sheriff’s Department’s county-issued credit card and all documents associated with Heartland Studios. The September credit card bill wasn’t included in a previous request for all credit card bills from December 2010 through October 2013. When the documents were received Jan. 21, only the first page of the credit card bill was given, and it was included nearly halfway into the 401 receipts for cars that were towed. No documents relating to Heartland Studios were given, and no letter explaining why documents weren’t provided was provided.
On Jan. 22, in an email, Hard said: “There are no contracts, bids, or emails associated with Heartland Studios other than what you have already received.” In response to a Freedom of Information Act request from November for all information related to spending from the tow fund, Sauk Valley Media received a copy of a check to Heartland Studios, an invoice for “web page consulting, design” for Feb. 15 to Aug. 15, 2013, and an email about the check. The rest of the September 2012 credit card bill was emailed to Sauk Valley Media after it was requested a second time. Harn said the original had been lost and his department had asked for a copy from the credit card company.
22 working days after the request was sent. According to bank statements obtained by Sauk Valley Media, between October 2011 and November 2013, the Sheriff’s Department collected $210,400 for its administrative tow fund and withdrew $158,132. A review of the 401 pages of tow fee receipts found that only $140,000 of the total money had been collected from vehicle towing. Asked about the other income, Harn said, in an email, that it came from “reimbursements from the state of Illinois, restitution, Exelon donation for squad car and equipment, fuel charges from other departments, Exelon Refund for Nuke drill [and] front office fees for reports.” No documents relating to those other deposits were provided in response to this newspaper’s Dec. 16 request for “All information related to revenue into from the sheriff’s administrative tow fund since October 1, 2011, including bank statements or other documents.” On Friday, Sauk Valley Media submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for “all information related to revenue into from the sheriff’s
administrative tow fund not coming from administrative tow fees” and for a copy of the fund’s ledger or log book. Those other sources of revenue account for $70,050, or a third of the total money deposited into the account during the first 2 years. “It’s obvious that the board left this thing too open,” Gouker said. “It’s not that the sheriff did anything wrong.” In an interview on Feb. 6, Gouker said he became aware of the other deposits during the past year, but he wasn’t sure when – or why – they were added to the tow fund. Without looking at the specific deposits on the ledger for the tow fund, Gouker said he wasn’t sure where those funds had previously been deposited. “I’ve talked to the sheriff about it,” Gouker said. “And we’re going to change it. We’re going to change it. There was an intent for that fund.” Harn didn’t respond to a request for comment about where the deposits had previously been made and for specifics about the restitution money and state reimbursements.
the costs associated with the towing, impounding or seizing of motor vehicles during the commission of criminal, traffic or related offenses.” The ordinance allows for funds collected “to be used at the discretion of the sheriff” for “law enforcement related activities including the purchase or maintaining of police vehicles, equipment or training.” The tow fund also has been used to buy advertising for the Sheriff’s Department, including January advertisements that promoted the department’s return of unspent money to the county budget’s general fund. Harn insisted the ads were not political even though they were published within two months of the March 18 primary election, where he will face two Republican challengers. While the changes to the tow fund will come from discussions among Harn, Gouker and members of the Executive Committee, Gouker said he didn’t think buying advertisements should be allowed and was something he would “strike from any new language.” Changes coming? Any action taken during According to the ordinance, the Executive Committee the fund was set up to “offset meeting will have to be
reviewed and approved by the full county board before it can take effect.
Forensic audit During the Ogle County Board meeting on Jan. 21, board member Richard Petrizzo called for a forensic audit of all spending by the sheriff’s department, according to a report by Ogle County Newspapers. A forensic audit is more extensive and investigative than the county budget’s annual audit. Although it is not part of the budget, the tow fund has been audited by the county’s auditors in the past, Gouker said. Because forensic audits are usually done in a case where criminal or fraudulent activity is suspected, Gouker said this week he didn’t support such at audit of the tow fund or Sheriff’s Department spending at this time. “A forensic [audit] is designed to be something that’s more direct, not broad and general,” Gouker said. No other board members commented on Petrizzo’s motion, according to Ogle County Newspapers, and the board took no action because the item wasn’t on the meeting’s agenda.
Ogle County Administrative Tow Fund Bank Statements (Nov. 2011 to Nov. 2013 Month/Year November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 Totals
#of deposits 5 3 2 3 2 1 1 5 1 11 1 3 3 0 10 1 5 3 6 6 3 7 2 1 0 85
Amount of deposits $20,473.06 $5,631.90 $7,200.00 $8,453.35 $10,915.00 $9,575.00 $2,100.00 $12,205.97 $2,100.00 $11,510.20 $3,734.94 $6,130.69 $9,839.60 $0.00 $13,405.00 $3,930.00 $6,747.20 $7,264.20 $9,550.36 $38,540.00 $4,215.00 $10,889.20 $3,400 $2,590.00 $0.00 $210,400.67
# of withdrawals 2 2 5 1 2 5 3 4 6 6 6 4 0 3 3 0 3 5 4 3 0 7 2 1 4 81
Amount of withdrawals $1,236.06 $2,421.50 $8,029.95 $1,179.00 $4,666.30 $10,362.73 $23,462.38 $1,238.00 $7,645.86 $3,965.13 $2,813.76 $4,108.20 $0.00 $6,326.42 $24,810.02 $0.00 $3,715.10 $4,094.51 $269.00 $5,736.41 $0.00 $15,159.29 $850.00 $24,297.00 $1,745.46 $158,132.08
Balance at end of month $19,237.00 $22,447.40 $21,617.45 $28,891.00 $35,140.50 $34,352.77 $17,863.49 $28,831.46 $23,285.00 $30,830.67 $31,751.85 $33,774.34 $43,614.31 $37,288.92 $25,884.73 $29,815.12 $32,847.48 $36,017.44 $45,299.14 $78,103.34 $82,319.02 $78,049.62 $80,600.26 $58,893.85 $57,148.86
Free pre-school screenings will be offered in March The Ogle County Educational Coop and local school districts are offering free pre-school screenings. Any child between the ages of 3 and 5 years old is invited to participate in the screening. Parents are encouraged to make an appointment. The screening is an assessment of the child’s readiness skills in the areas
of concepts, language, and motor. Vision and hearing screenings are also provided. The purpose of the screening is to identify any child who may qualify for the school district’s Early Childhood or Pre-K program. Screening dates, locations, and contact information are: Polo School District - Call Centennial School at 815-
946-3811 for an appointment. Screenings will be held at the Faith United Methodist Church, 702 E. Dixon, Polo, on Thursday, March 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Meridian School District - Call Highland Elementary School at 815-645-8188 for an appointment for Tuesday March 18 from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. or Wednesday, March
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