More than $25,000 is missing from Silver Lakes coffers, according to a State Board of Accounts audit for 2004.

The state's audit also found that financial records were inaccurate and incomplete; that one month's balances did not agree with the next month's balances; and that many receipts and disbursement records did not exist.

The town's clerk-treasurer, Angela Glass, was elected during an Aug. 19, 2003, town convention, defeating incumbent Teresa Howell. Howell's exit conference with the State Board of Accounts in February 2004, was without comment, meaning all the monies were accounted for and the ledgers were complete and accurate.

There are eight pages of comments regarding Glass' record keeping in 2004. Town council members Tom Waite, Ron Jones and Stanley Williams were present when the contents of the report were discussed by auditors March 14.

In October, the council members, after 10 months in office, publically asked Glass to present a claims ledger and account balances. She said it takes too long to get the figures.

"It takes a long time," Glass said at the Oct. 11 meeting. "It takes at least five hours to pay bills twice every month." The clerk-treasurer's job is a full-time position. She also has a deputy clerk.

Council members never approved claims in 2004, according to the SBA report.

The audit shows $134,833.67 missing from the town's checking account. But the water utility account had an overage of $43,785.77 and the wastewater utility had an overage of $66,441.87, resulting in a $25,606.03 loss overall.

Glass would be responsible for repaying the missing amount, according to Stacy Schneider of the attorney general's press office, if an attorney general's audit also shows funds missing. The SBA routinely forwards suspect audits to the attorney general's office.

The report has not yet been received by the attorney general's office, Schneider said.

Any suspected criminal activity would be forwarded to the Kosciusko County prosecutors office for litigation.

In addition to a negative cash balance, the SBA audit reveals penalties in excess of $3,000, assessed by the Internal Revenue Service, because federal withholding, social security, and Medicare taxes were remitted late, remitted in incorrect amounts and not paid electronically as required by law.

Officials have a duty to pay claims and remit taxes in a timely fashion.

The report also indicates:

• Sales tax for the water utility were not paid in a timely fashion or in the correct amounts.

• No utility receipts taxes were paid to the Indiana Department of Revenue in 2004.

• Payroll records were found to be inaccurate during a sample pay period.

• Town council minutes, the clerk's responsibility, did not reflect council actions and decisions.

• No liens were filed against delinquent wastewater accounts in 2004.

• The total number of gallons of water billed to customers was far less than the actual number of gallons used. In 2004, billings were based on 15 million gallons, while usage was 25.9 million gallons, a difference of 42 percent.

In her response to the SBA, Glass said a computer "crash" resulted in a complete loss of records and eight months of data had to be re-entered in a new computer using different software.

In many instances she claimed not to be aware of due dates and procedures and that steps have been taken to correct inaccuracies. [[In-content Ad]]