Self-Service City Financial Records, (Apparently) Available for Public Inspection
September 9th, 2016 by Joe Burgess
As Monticello’s mayor and city government have been questioned for misappropriation and misspending, with rumors of corruption, 2 council members, who also serve on the budget committee, were searching through city records, Thursday, in the council room, without notifying media of their meeting.
It seems that the documents being looked through included 2014, 2015, and 2016, extending back to the term of Mayor Allen Maxwell, when Mayor Tucker was “assistant to the mayor.” Paige Chase is Allen Maxwell’s Daughter.
When a reporter, who stopped by, asked to look at the documents in front of her, alderman Claudia Hartness replied that some of them were “my personal business.”
The records, after being searched through by council members Hartness and Paige Chase, obviously remain unguarded and unwatched in the council chambers, today.
Sources also report that a city employee was also going through documents, earlier today.
With the current State Police investigation, pending litigation, and definite need for an audit, it shows poor judgment leaving document of this nature, unwatched, and open to the public.
Of course, if documents were to suddenly disappear, no one would be responsible.
This is ridiculous.
Can things get any worse here? I am in shock with what goes on with our local government. People need to just get it together!
With this currently being investigated by the State Police, I would thing that NO ONE except the State Police be going through the files. Looks like a few people may be making sure all incremenating EVIDENCE disappears! Just a thought.