Budget Resolution A Start on Money Misappropriation at Town

It has been a rough Spring for the Town of Whitehall, with much scrutiny by the townspeople in regard to the misappropriation of earmarked funds being discovered earlier this year after. However, a budget resolution brought to the public and the Town Council for approval on April 12th should start to alleviate the money confusion.

“The money was never “gone”,” Allissa Christensen, Town Clerk & Treasurer, stressed. “It was just put into the wrong accounts and used for the wrong items.” The Town has made it very clear that no one stole the money and that no criminal activity was ever assumed.

“It was poor training. The prior administration didn’t train well,” said Roy McBride, who stood in as acting Mayor in Mary Janacaro Hensleigh’s absence at the meeting. McBride, as well as Christensen, noted that the accounting system used by the town, as well as other government entities, is notoriously difficult to work with and not user friendly.

The resolution, brought to for public review at a special meeting prior to the normally schedule Town Council meeting, brought $11,000 from the general fund back to the BARSA fund (specifically earmarked for bridge and road repair), and monies were moved to begin reimbursing the pool fund and the fire department for misappropriated funds, both to the tune of $25,000 each thus far. The pool fund had about $69,000 misappropriated into the general fund; this first budget resolution will replenish $25,000 with more to be scheduled at the beginning of the fiscal year (July 1). Christensen said that Fire Department also had funds misappropriated, with more than this reimbursement of $25,000 needed to make things right. The budget amendment was approved during the normal Town Council meeting unanimously.

Much comment was had on the proposed budget cut to the Sheriff’s department contract with the Town; the contract is in negotiations going from $112,000 to $60,000. Bill Lanes presented many facts to the board as an audience member, noting that the Town’s contract has been $112,000 since 2007, with no increase, yet we have a garbage collection contract that is $120,000. Lanes noted that other communities (Three Forks, Townsend, Manhattan) spend 50-60% of their general fund on law enforcement, between $250,000 and $350,000.

“Let’s think this thing through; if we make a quick decision then we have to recover from that decision,” said councilwoman Katy James. Negotiations, Town Attorney Ed Guza said, have been tepid at best and that there really is no “Choice B” if the sheriff’s department does not want to negotiate. Several added that if the mill levy in 2020 had passed the Town would not be in the current situation.

“This is really on us, as a Council, for not making it clear to the town what not passing that mill levy would cause,” said councilwoman Pat Peterson.

It was decided to move forward with the previously approved amount of $112,000 and ask the sheriff’s department to work towards enforcing ordinances and work towards educating the community on the importance of the levy if it is brought to election in November. The Council noted that other budget cuts will need to be made in other areas to allow for the sheriff’s contract to stay the same.

OTHER NEWS:

- Christensen informed the Council that the 2015 penalties for unfiled taxes had been waived by the IRS in the amount of $27,065.44.

- Yellowstone Trail was declared a “disaster” by government terms in order to receive a permit for beaver trapping and repair of the water retaining portion of the road caused by the beaver dam.

- It had been discovered by the Council that Lanes was mistakenly serving for Ward 2, though he lives in Ward 1. Lanes has vacated his seat on the Council and the position is posted for volunteers.

The Jefferson Valley Rural Ambulance District announced that as of July 1st, out of district rates for ambulance services would increase from $29 per call to $100 per call. Holly Harper, from JVRAD, stressed their desire to have the Town join the district. Dr. Gayle Sacry noted that it “needed to get done” and that it was “embarrassing” that the town was not part of the ambulance district.