Sheriff’s office money to be funneled through county finance office, says Hill
Published 1:59 pm Monday, December 8, 2008
There are currently two Macon Bank accounts for the Polk County Sheriff&squo;s Office that no one at the county level can access, according to county officials.
Polk County commissioners discussed special accounts for the sheriff&squo;s office at their meeting Monday. They approved changing the name on the accounts from former sheriff Chris Abril to newly appointed sheriff Donald Hill and county finance director Sandra Hughes.
County manager Ryan Whitson says funds for the two Macon Bank accounts with the former sheriff&squo;s administration had not been funneled through the county finance office. He says no one can get into those accounts and the county really doesn&squo;t know what is in them.
Whitson said Sheriff Hill wants all the sheriff&squo;s office funds to go through the county finance office, including a special jail fund, that is used for various reasons, including donations to the sheriff&squo;s office.
Hill said this week that the special jail fund will still exist, but no checks will be issued by the sheriff&squo;s office. He said everything the sheriff&squo;s office purchases will go through the finance office from now on because he wants everything to be documented.
&dquo;We will do check requests for everything with the finance office,&dquo; said Hill.
Currently the Macon Bank accounts are flagged, but the bank says they can be accessed as soon as the county sends its minutes from the meeting at which commissioners agreed to switch the names on the accounts.