Hamblen/Morristown former landfill director Ronnie Brady's theft of over $220,000.00 from the local Solid Waste Board garnered third place in a "government pork" poll by the Beacon Center.
Click here for the poll results.
Brady's theft was beaten out for the top "pork" spot by the transfer of $165,000,000.00 of taxpayer dollars to VW in Chattanooga and the $46,000.00 spent by Governor Haslam to come up with a new state "logo."
Brady's theft was accomplished primarily by issuing LOTS of "extra" solid waste payroll checks to himself and also using solid waste funds to pay his personal bills.
The theft went undetected for at least 3-1/2 years even though there was a nine-member board with oversight duties, even though the SWB was audited every year, and even though SWB chairman Stancil Ford was supposed to physically sign or personally stamp his signature on checks along with Brady's signature.
Most businesses and governmental entities require TWO signatures on all checks to try to prevent exactly what happened at the solid waste board.
Ford, however, was not personally signing or personally stamping the "extra" checks. Ford apparently had given Brady access to Ford's signature stamp which, of course, defeated the whole purpose of having two signatures on checks.
After all, it's not really a "check and balance" against potential theft when one person (Brady) can sign his signature to checks and can also stamp the signature of the other person (Ford) on the checks.
Giving someone your signature stamp or access to your signature stamp opens the bank door for theft.
And the door to the SWB bank account was left wide open by Stancil Ford failing to physically sign SWB checks or at least go and use HIS signature stamp on the checks HIMSELF.
Maybe Stancil deserves an "assist" in helping Ronnie Brady win 3rd place in the Beacon pork and waste (and theft) contest!
Showing posts with label SWB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SWB. Show all posts
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Thursday, June 04, 2015
June 4, 2015 Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson: Stancil Ford Violated Tennessee Law (TCA 12-4-101)
Tennessee's conflict of interest laws are weak in many areas. However, they are crystal clear in one area--elected officials, committee members, and those holding similar supervisory positions can't supervise themselves.
Now let's look at Stancil Ford and the Hamblen County/Morristown Solid Waste Board (SWB).
In February 2014, former SWB Landfill Director Ronnie Brady resigned amid allegations of theft from the SWB. Brady was indicted in March 2015 on charges of theft over $60,000. The Tennessee Comptroller's Office put the theft at almost $228,000.
Following Brady's resignation, the SWB named one of its own--SWB member Stancil Ford--as interim landfill director. Ford served as interim landfill director and later as an "assistant" interim landfill director up through May 30, 2014. Ford remained on the Board during that entire time. Ford received about $8800 during the 3-1/2 month period that he was interim director, "assistant" interim director, and a member and Chairman of the SWB.
On April 29, 2015, Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson informed the SWB that Ford had a statutory conflict of interest in serving on the SWB and serving as SWB landfill director/assistant director. Ford violated TCA 12-4-101.
[Ford is a sitting county commissioner. He was also the State Representative for Hamblen County for many years until his defeat in 2002.]
Now let's look at Stancil Ford and the Hamblen County/Morristown Solid Waste Board (SWB).
In February 2014, former SWB Landfill Director Ronnie Brady resigned amid allegations of theft from the SWB. Brady was indicted in March 2015 on charges of theft over $60,000. The Tennessee Comptroller's Office put the theft at almost $228,000.
Following Brady's resignation, the SWB named one of its own--SWB member Stancil Ford--as interim landfill director. Ford served as interim landfill director and later as an "assistant" interim landfill director up through May 30, 2014. Ford remained on the Board during that entire time. Ford received about $8800 during the 3-1/2 month period that he was interim director, "assistant" interim director, and a member and Chairman of the SWB.
On April 29, 2015, Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson informed the SWB that Ford had a statutory conflict of interest in serving on the SWB and serving as SWB landfill director/assistant director. Ford violated TCA 12-4-101.
[Ford is a sitting county commissioner. He was also the State Representative for Hamblen County for many years until his defeat in 2002.]
Sunday, May 31, 2015
May 31, 2015 Hamblen/Morristown Solid Waste Board Seeks Proposals for Auditing Services
The joint Hamblen County/Morristown Solid Waste Board (SWB) is advertising for proposals for auditing services.
As I mentioned in a prior post, Doe Jarvis made the motion to look at new auditors for the SWB back on May 16, 2015. The vote was unanimous. [SWB Chairman Tony Cox was absent when the vote was taken.]
On Friday, May 29, the SWB put an ad in the paper for auditing services. Interested firms can pick up packets at the SWB office to use in submitting proposals.
Proposals have to be turned in to the SWB office by 10 AM on Monday, June 15, 2015.
At a previous SWB executive committee meeting, SWB Chairman Tony Cox had mentioned that the Board might need to review certain professional positions and decide whether to keep the current auditors (Craine-Thompson-Jones), the current engineer (Matt Hatfield), and current attorney (Chris Capps).
The search for new auditors comes on the heels of a report by the Tennessee Comptroller's Office that over $220,000 was taken by SWB Director Ronnie Brady between July 2010 and January 2014.
Brady resigned in early 2014 and was indicted for theft over $60,000 by a local grand jury on March 2, 2015.
More details are here. To see the Comptroller's report, click here.
As I mentioned in a prior post, Doe Jarvis made the motion to look at new auditors for the SWB back on May 16, 2015. The vote was unanimous. [SWB Chairman Tony Cox was absent when the vote was taken.]
On Friday, May 29, the SWB put an ad in the paper for auditing services. Interested firms can pick up packets at the SWB office to use in submitting proposals.
Proposals have to be turned in to the SWB office by 10 AM on Monday, June 15, 2015.
At a previous SWB executive committee meeting, SWB Chairman Tony Cox had mentioned that the Board might need to review certain professional positions and decide whether to keep the current auditors (Craine-Thompson-Jones), the current engineer (Matt Hatfield), and current attorney (Chris Capps).
The search for new auditors comes on the heels of a report by the Tennessee Comptroller's Office that over $220,000 was taken by SWB Director Ronnie Brady between July 2010 and January 2014.
Brady resigned in early 2014 and was indicted for theft over $60,000 by a local grand jury on March 2, 2015.
More details are here. To see the Comptroller's report, click here.
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