As I indicated on 2/22, I reported several other business transactions (BT) to EideBailly LLP (EB) and Linn County’s Office of Finance & Budget (F&B). After talking with a CPA at EB, at F&B, and at the Auditor of State’s Office, I concluded that an additional twenty-two (22) BTs should have been included in the County’s 2015 Compliance Report.
I choose to err on the side of disclosing too many BTs rather than too few BTs. Further, I do not wish to disincentivize the employees who had the courage to self-report real or perceived related-party-transactions (BTs) or conflicts of interest.
Please be advised that the disclosure of these BTs does NOT imply any wrongdoing of any kind. The purpose of these disclosures is to illustrate to the public and taxpayers that Linn County is transparent in spending its tax dollars.
In addition, you will find that I did not disclose employee and contractor names; however, those names are available upon request. I did disclose elected officials names as we have the highest fiduciary responsibility to the County. -Joel D. Miller – Linn County Auditor (LCA)
Linn County Auditor’s referral case # – County employee’s organization in FY2015 – Relationship – Website- Description – Amount spent in FY2015
FY15-001 Board of Supervisor’s (BOS) IT employee – SPOUSE was executive director of Grace C Mae Advocate Center, Inc. – http://www.advocatecenter.org/ – Services – $200
FY15-002 BOS Options employee – SPOUSE was owner of TJ Support Services LLC – no website – Services – $9,664
FY15-005 BOS Facilities employee – EMPLOYEE & SPOUSE were co-owners of Blakley Properties – no website – Rented housing to County client – $875
FY15-007 Medical Examiner employees – EMPLOYEES own Weber Specialty Transport Company – no website – Services – $10,734
FY15-008 Supervisor John Harris – ELECTED OFFICIAL was board member of Area Ambulance Authority – http://www.area-ambulance.org/ – Services – $15,853
FY15-009 Supervisor Ben Rogers – ELECTED OFFICIAL was board member of The Arc of East Central Iowa – https://www.arceci.org/ – Services – $14,847
FY15-010 BOS Veteran Affairs employee – EMPLOYEE was president & board member of Valor, Inc. – no website – Services (Valor received grant funds from County for purpose of providing services) – $2,196
FY15-011 Attorney’s Office employee – SPOUSE was president & board member of CR IV Service, Inc. dba CarePro Home Medical AND president & board member of CR Pharmacy Service, Inc. dba A Avenue Pharmacy – http://www.careprohs.com/ – Services & Supplies – $1,057
FY15-013 Supervisor John Harris – ELECTED OFFICIAL’S SON-IN-LAW was employed by Foundation 2, Inc. – http://www.foundation2.org/Default.aspx – Services – $111,139
FY15-014 BOS contractor (paid $45,600 in FY15) – CONTRACTOR was board member of Prospect Meadows, Inc. (PMI) – http://www.prospectmeadows.com/ – County leased office space and farmland to PMI – $2,401
FY15-015 Supervisor John Harris – ELECTED OFFICIAL was board member of Area Substance Abuse Council, Inc. – http://asac.us/ – Services – $62,122
FY15-016 BOS LCCS employee – EMPLOYEE was board member of Community Corrections Improvement Association – no website – Services – $19,754
FY15-017 Supervisor Brent Oleson – ELECTED OFFICIAL was board member of Trees Forever, Inc. – http://www.treesforever.org/ – Services (symposium sponsorships) – $3,500
FY15-018 Sheriff’s Office employee – EMPLOYEE’S BROTHER-IN-LAW was employed by Rapids Wholesale Equipment Company – http://rapidswholesale.com/ – Supplies – $7,240
FY15-020 Supervisor Brent Oleson – ELECTED OFFICIAL was ex-officio board member of Prospect Meadows, Inc. – http://www.prospectmeadows.com/ – County leased office space and farmland to PMI – $2,401
FY15-022 BOS Purchasing employee – EMPLOYEE’S BROTHER was employed by Pat McGrath Chevyland – http://www.patmcgrathchevyland.com/ – Service & Supplies – $8,982
FY15-023 BOS Purchasing employee – EMPLOYEE’S BROTHER-IN-LAW was employed by Bromo Inc. dba The 380 Companies or Reconstruction 380 – http://reconstruction380.com/ – Services – $3,210
FY15-024 BOS Purchasing employee – EMPLOYEE’S SISTER-IN-LAW was employed by Altorfer, Inc. http://www.altorfer.com/ – Services – $19,470
FY15-025 BOS Purchasing employee – EMPLOYEE’S UNCLE owns Neal’s Water Conditioning http://nealswaterconditioning.com/ – Services – $1,725
FY15-026 Recorder’s Office employee – SPOUSE owns DF Jones Enterprises, LLC – no website – Rented housing to County client – $12,725
FY15-027 Supervisor Lu Barron – ELECTED OFFICIAL (1st half of FY15) – SPOUSE was president of Barron Motor Inc. – no website – Supplies – $1,134
FY15-029 BOS LCCS employee and Sheriff’s Office employee – EMPLOYEES own rental property – no website – Rented housing to County client – $1,700
Sources: FY2015 Vendor Payments, employee self disclosures, tips, and LCA initiated audits. ###
Tags: ben rogers, Board of Supervisors, brent oleson, john harris, Lu Barron
August 7, 2018 at 07:34 |
[…] Another $100,000 of the Mott Building proceeds went to the ARC of East Center Iowa after BSBR asked his peers on the Board of Supervisors (BOS) to approve a grant to the ARC. Why did BSBR abstain on the vote? Because he was on the ARC’s Board of Directors at the time. That’s what I call a related party transaction. […]
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