THEFT: City must dissuade thieves

Stories of a recent embezzlement case within the City of Coeur d’Alene of taxpayer funds isn’t the first time this has happened. Public funds should be handled under a “checks and balance” system which apparently isn’t set up here in Coeur d’Alene. To have someone able to steal taxpayer monies for a period of over five years should be a disgrace to those administrators responsible and working in the Finance Department. Where are the checks and balances?

I was employed as an accounting manager of a large piano and organ sales distributor just after the previous manager was caught embezzling after 17 years. This employee was a personal friend of the owner. When I took over the position, I handled all customer transactions with cash and credit and every cash operation was always verified by two people before the deposit was made.

With city government employees handling so much money on the books, every check written should require two signatures. When the enticing opportunity presents itself, this is what promotes the start of embezzlement and leads from one to another and for this to last over five years without detection is total lack of supervision.

When we as taxpayers are paying $30,000 for an accounting firm to audit city business over this period of time and nothing was detected, why would you want them hired again? When those with intelligence read something like this happening and approval coming down from those elected officials we have given our trust to rehire the same firm again, this is what ferments the recall thinking. Those in power think they’re beyond questioning! This kind of thinking is like appointing Al Capone the bank president after he has robbed the bank.

The Mayor, deciding to not have anyone held accountable and no punishment of any kind for those in charge just gives the next embezzler the opinion to start as there are no consequences.

Once embezzling is suspected, that employee should be kept under surveillance and any checks or transactions should be double checked. To have someone stealing for five plus years is ridiculous and then appointing the same auditing firm back that didn’t find the shortages before doesn’t make sense unless it’s politically attached. There are other accounting firms that would be happy to offer their bid to handle city business and suggest instituting the changes needed to prevent future employee embezzlements. How long working for her standard salary would it have taken to make the $365,000. that was stolen? Will the punishment match the crime?

BILL SINGLETON

Coeur d’Alene