Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
BURKET – Burket Town Council approved a resolution adopting internal control standards Thursday.
Council President Bill Rayburn read the resolution, which states Indiana code requires the fiscal officer of the local subdivision to certify the minimum level of internal control standards established by the Indiana State Board of Accounts (SBOA) has been implemented. The town council recognizes the importance of establishing and maintaining a system of internal control to safe guard public funds and assets and ensure reliable financial reporting.
The resolution also states the town council directs the clerk-treasurer and all officers and town employees to comply with the adopted internal control standards and the all fiscal requirements of the SBOA.
The town will provide internal control training to personnel as required by Indiana law and the SBOA. The clerk-treasurer is authorized to take any actions necessary to implement and maintain compliance with the internal control standards, the resolution states.
Rayburn said every year there is an annual financial report that’s turned in to the state for the previous year. It has to be attested to by the town’s clerk-treasurer.
“And part of this says we train our people and they have accomplished that training,” he said.
An audit of the town that was released earlier this year was “driving a lot of this” and the resolution was a step to get the issues addressed in the audit resolved, he said.
One of the issues cited in the audit was the town couldn’t provide documentation the minimum internal control standards had been adopted as required by Indiana code.
Another thing the town was cited for was not recording their training. One example Rayburn gave was Clerk-Treasurer Katina Webb will train with another clerk somewhere or taking training on budgets and the town hasn’t been able to produce documentation of the training.
Webb said in her defense, she was not aware she had to record her trainings until the audit. This is a start of getting that training scheduled and documented, Rayburn said.
In other business, the council:
• Heard a public hearing for the 2027 budget is set for 6 p.m. Sept. 28.
• Heard an update about utility poles around town from Street Superintendent Brad Bibler.
He said he was in contact with Arbormedics and they went to check out behind a residence on Center Street where a tree is growing in utility lines. They are going to come out and do work to get trees away from the lines in that area.
Bibler also was in contact with a representative from Frontier and a utility pole that was laying down on the ground was fixed. Bibler gave the representative a list of everything he thought Frontier needed to assess and repair as needed.
• Heard the road crack seal is done.
• Heard there a power line was laying across Broadway Street on Wednesday. Bibler put a barricade over the line. The line was cut and moved out of the road.
