My question is, was the commissioner whistling "Rocky Top"( with apologies to Honeybee) or singing "Bringing in the Sheves' while this was going on.

If all is true as was published in the NGN, then this is an embarrassment to the good people of Union. I note the guilty parties name was omitted? Normally the name is splashed on the front page.

All I can say, it is apalling!!!!

As far as having only one signature on the checks, I guess that's just the way it's always been done here and there has never been a problem until now. Now that the problem has come up the policy has changed. I guess people here just go by the policy of 'if it's not broke, don't fix it.'

What is interesting is how it was handled once it was discovered. She repaid the money back ($65,000 is lot of money to get together in only a few days) and lost her job. In Banks County, only 60 miles southeast from here, a deputy tax commissioner was arrested and charged with 7 counts of computer fraud and 1 count of Violation of Oath of Public Office for adjusting the ad valorem taxes for seven vehicles of friends. How much money do you think that added up to? I can't believe it was anything close to $65,000. But they took the violations seriously and especially the violation of public trust that results from these types of events. The Banks county sheriff and the GBI were both involved in that case.

Georgia law provides that any public officer who willfully and intentionally violates the terms of his/her oath as prescribed by law shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years.

This is no minor matter that happened here. And the way it was handled sends an unsubtle message from the Union County Government that they will take care of any "personnel problems" themselves. It suddenly lends a lot more credence to their oft-ignored critics that cover-ups and hidden dealings are going on, being quietly handled behind the scenes. I don't really cotton to those whispers. But even the appearance of impropriety is just as bad, and we're suddenly in that territory now.

I believe it is largely a result of having the same person as tax commissioner in office for more than 40 years. Longevity breeds complacency. And complacency is what led to the lack of financial oversight that allowed the thefts (each check to herself is a separate theft) to occur.

Info about Banks County crime: http://www.georgia.gov/00/press/detail/0,2668,67862954_67866877_156922172,00.html

I suppose if you have an employee who has been honest and faithful (as far as you know) for 16 years you do get complacent and trust them to keep being honest and faithful.

In a similar case of felony theft by conversion, a lawyer advised that the person being charged "is eligible for a penalty of no less than one year and no more than ten years as to each count of theft over $500. There's no way to predict exactly what sentence he would get if he lost at trial or if he plead guilty. However, if he has no criminal record, it is likely that he would get some sort of suspended sentence in lieu of jail time, with a condition that he repay restitution to the company he is accused of stealing from. If he has a prior criminal record, it is likely that the judge will give him at least some of the jail time he is looking at."

The disparity between the two examples provided and what happened in our Tax Commissioner's office is huge, especially when considering the amount stolen. If such things can be resolved in back room deals, then I'm willing to entertain any number of possibilities are possible in this office and perhaps in other county offices.

That's not taking political advantage as hinted at in North Georgia News article. It's instead a complete loss of trust in the people filling at least one government office of our county. Not just because the crime occurred, but because of the "let's not make waves, we'll handle it ourselves" manner in which it has been handled.

News article referenced: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/25144415/detail.html

Maybe, the State of Georgia should step in to this situation.

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I didn't see any update to this story in the paper this week. I'd like to know the name of the employee. Some of you know already because you've been here "forever", but some of us newer residents have no clue. Mr. Payne should not be running his office so casually. Fine that he's "fixed" it so it won't happen again; however, if the office was run with appropriate operating procedures, it wouldn't have happened at all.

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I would have been surprised by this sort of thing when I first moved here, but not anymore. The ties between people are just so strong and entrenched that the wrong people often get hired over more qualified applicants and strict justice is downplayed.

I have been enlightened about things that happen behind the scenes here that I would never post about in a million years. My eyes have been opened. The good ole boy (and girl) system IS thriving here; often to the detriment of local taxpayers' interests.

Odds are, nothing will be done. I mean, the govt. announced they couldn't account for 2.3 trillion and no one batted an eye.

"Educate and inform the whole mass of people. They are the only sure reliance of the preservation of our freedom."
-- Thomas Jefferson

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Here's a thought, refuse to pay your taxes until the guilty parties are brought to justice. I'd be willing to bet this is not a solitary incident.

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Shadow

Out on $100,000 bail, he now faces two felony counts of theft, a felony count of receiving stolen property, and a misdemeanor count of misapplication of entrusted property, which carry a combined maximum of 23 years in prison upon conviction

http://articles.mcall.com/2010-10-05/news/mc-pen-argyl-tax-collector-accused-of20101005_1_tax-collector-district-and-borough-officials-property-and-misapplication
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/slate-belt/index.ssf/2010/10/former_pen_argyl_tax_collector.html

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Can anyone believe that it is two weeks' editions since the news came out and still no letters to the editor showing any discontent with the tax commissioner office's decision to not prosecute?

Are the voters that accepting? Or is the NGN refusing to publish them?

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