The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-05-23
INVESTIGATING
COMMITTEE
Carefully Examines City Affairs
and Makes Report to Council.


City of Beliefontaine, Ohto-Sirs:
Your Committee appointed March
10, 1902, to investigate the books of
the City Clerk, has completed its work.
For the year March II, 1901, to March
Il, 1902. the Committee has made as
thorough examination as practicable
from the books and by corresponding
with parties in distant cities, visiting
outside towns, calling witnesses and
using the best means and methods
that suggested themselves to it.
On our first examination of the
books it became apparent that most Of
the Irregularities occurred in the year
1912, and We have not gone into the
three previous years as thoroughly as
we have for that year. Besides this,
the Com mittee has been unable to OBJ
tain the bills for previo us years, ex-
cept part Of 1900, and there were no
means for proving the accounts Of
those years.
We find that the system Of keeping
the city's accounts and paying out
monies, has not been such as to guard
the city's interests, but rather one to
encourage looseness and irregulari-
ties. The custom has been for the
Clerk to receive the money for the
bonds, and other purposes, and to
turn it over to the Treasury at his con-
venience. There is no means of as
certaining, by the books, what money
is paid to the Clerk from any or all
sources, only as he sees fit to enter it
on his books himself.
We do not believe that the Clerk had
authority to receive money for bonds,
special assessments, or other purposes,
but that all monies should be certified
through him, to the Treasurer, simi-
lar to the procedure and on the forms
like those used by the Auditor in
county affairs.
We find that it has been q common
custom when any fund was short to
draw an order on some other fund that
had money in it. We believe this to
be illegal, and that it should be stop.
ped.
1t has also been the custom to pay
large sums to the Clerk to take bonds
that have been sold to Cincinnati, Co
lumbus and other points and receive
the money for the same. The money
for bonds should always be paid inte
the Treasury at Bellefontaine, and ths
bonds and coupons should be redeem
able there, and the advertisements
and bonds should so state.
We found in numbers of instances
difficulty in making funds balance
and in tracing accounts by the order,
being paid to parties other than t.
whom due, thus: A contractor to whom
the city owes money assigns his claim
to some other party and the order i!
made out in the name Of the thirl
Iparty. All orders payable to contrac
tors should be made primarily payable
to them, so that the books will shoy
what he has received on his contract
| We find that many of the orders hav,
not been indorsed and almost all tn,
bonds and coupons that have beeI
paid by the city have not. been stamp
ed cpsid" or redeemed" and have n,
mark whatever, to indicate that the.
have ever been paid. This arise
largely through the orders, bonds an,
coupons having been paid by tn
banks. Every order paid should b
marked upsid" with the date of pay
ment. and all bonds or coupons psi,
of should be marked redeemed" o
lvpaid," with the date Of payment.
We find no authority for paying or
ders or redeeming bonds and coupon
at the banks, and believe the Treasur,
is the only place to pay them.
i No bill should be paid until ap
proved by the Board Of Revision an,
an ordinance passed allowing tn
same. All bills should be on file lonl
enough before allowance 10 allow tn
public to inspect them.
We would suggest that q transcript
of all orders allowed at each meeting
Of the Council be furnished the Treas
urer for his guidance and security.
The Council should have before it q
each meeting q statement OF the none,
in each fund. and no bill should b.
allowed on a fund that is exhausted.
i Our report shows an overdraf
amounting to $40, ,080.59 distribute,
among the following eight funds
Water Works, Street, Gas, Electri
Light, Cantwell Avenue, Detroit Street
Lawrence Street and Machine Shol
Indebtedness. All overdrafts are il
legal, and the Council should stop al
lowing bills out of q fund and tn,
Treasurer refuse to pay the same
when there is no money in the fund.
The practice Of taking free water and
free gas by city officials has only Gus
tom to justify it. In the opinion o
this Committee it is illegal, and al
money belonging to the city thus re
tanned should be recovered. Also
money illegally paid as salaries to
members Of the different Boards should
be recovered.
| We would recommend that the Law
prohibiting City Officials, Trustees,
etc, being interested in public con.
tracs of all kinds be more carefully
observed.
This Committee has been instructed
to confine its investigation to the City
Clerks books, and report on same.
However, many things that may ap-