Published: November 01, 2007 11:32 pm            

Brazil clerk-treasurer race is city’s most heated

Brazil — The race for Brazil’s clerk-treasurer has become one of the most heated races in the city, with disputes about the accuracy of accounting practices going back several years.

Republican Janet Wallace, 64, who held the office from 2000 to 2003, and most recently served as deputy clerk-treasurer, was suspended from her duties in September for failure to pay city taxes on time, but she claims her suspension was politically motivated.

Her opponent, Democrat Karen McQueen, 29, who had been working part time in the office since January, took over for Wallace when she was suspended, and currently serves as full-time deputy clerk-treasurer.

Incumbent Tracy Webster, who suspended Wallace, is not running for re-election and plans to leave the clerk’s office for another job offer, she said.

The Brazil Times in September reported that the State Board of Accounts during a routine audit learned that there were four different occasions in 2005 and 2006 when city taxes had been paid late by the clerk’s office.

The city owed more than $6,000 in penalties for those incidents, according to the Brazil Times.

Todd Austin, supervisor with the Indiana State Board of Accounts, declined Thursday to confirm the late payments, saying a report on the 2006 audit will not be available for public viewing until Wednesday.

Webster said during a recent interview that Wallace, who made tax payments to the IRS, had hidden the penalties from her, and used Webster’s rubber name stamp to pay the penalties.

“I have been asked to personally repay the city this money,” Webster added.

Wallace said Webster “knew about each one of the penalties. She says she doesn’t, but she did, because I told her about each one when it happened.”

Wallace added that the suspension was “definitely” political. Webster and deputy clerk McQueen “had been looking over my shoulder for quite awhile to find something … every little thing they could pounce on,” she said.

In a letter Wallace wrote addressed to Webster, Mayor Ann Bradshaw, and to former City Attorney Eric Wyndham regarding the late tax payments, Wallace wrote, “This occurred some time ago and I cannot remember why this happened, but this was not done intentionally.”

McQueen, who said during a recent interview that she wants to avoid negative campaigning, said she would refer any questions about the late taxes to Webster.

“I feel bad for the current clerk-treasurer because I feel like she is being attacked,” McQueen said. “I just hate to see it. She really is efficient; she was handed a lot of errors.”

Both Wallace and McQueen agree that the most important issue for the office of clerk-treasurer is that the accounts are accurate and balanced.

McQueen said, “I want accuracy in that office, that’s the biggest thing. There’s no room for mistakes, which can turn into very costly mistakes. We need to have accuracy and double-checking to make sure the taxpayers’ money is being spent properly.”

According to Wallace, during her four years in office the books were balanced and audits were complete. She claims that since she left office, the audits have failed for being incomplete and full of errors, and she expects to remedy the problems.

“When I was in office, we always had a completed audit, the books always were in shape where they could do an audit,” Wallace said. “Since I’ve been out of office, the last three years they’ve had disclaimers, a failed audit. [The State Board of Accounts] couldn’t audit the books because the numbers didn’t match, they wasn’t reconciled. Information was missing and different things … ”

Wallace added, “I want to get the books back in shape and see that payroll and employees are all covered and everything.”

Webster said she is frustrated with Wallace’s portrayal of Webster’s accounting.

“The [recent] audits are not correct because before [Wallace] left office in 2003, we got [a new accounting software], and she [input] all the figures wrong,” Webster said. “I’m not trying to slander her, but she fails to tell the whole truth.”

As for numbers being off, Wallace’s opponent, McQueen, says, “There is some wrong inputting in the computer … that does need addressed and that is something I will do when I take office to make sure everything is in order.

“I want to be able to go into the computer and when Mayor Bradshaw or Mayor Sheese calls me and says how much money do we have in the bank, I want to be able to tell them. I don’t want to be confused on that.”

McQueen, who also serves as clerk-treasurer for the Clay County Humane Society, added that she is running for the office because “I just wanted to do something good for taxpayers. I wanted to make sure that their money is spent properly … I feel a lot of things needed to be updated in this city to make us move forward. I have a little girl, a year and a half old, and I want better things for her.”

If elected, McQueen says she intends to continue her training to keep the office moving forward.

“If you don’t stay up on those computers, you’re done,” she said. “This world is fast-paced … I feel like me and my deputy clerk-treasurer need to go to all of those trainings.”

Wallace, in her campaign materials, stated that she will continue to attend state educational seminars and trainings on local government and budget preparations.

Among other changes Wallace said she intends to implement if she is elected, she wants to make sure the doors of the clerk-treasurer’s office are open eight hours a day. Currently, she said, the office closes around noon and is closed for an hour.

Wallace is a member of Croy Creek Congregational Christian Church, where she serves as assistant treasurer; she serves on the board of directors for the Clay County emergency food pantry, and serves as treasurer for their building fund; treasurer for the Jackson Gardens tenants committee; and a member of Order of Eastern Star at Knightsville.

She said she wants voters to know, “I am honest, I have my faith, and I love my job … and regards to what anyone says, I think I do know what I was doing and did it well.”

Deb Kelly can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or deb.mckee@tribstar.com.

• Janet I. Wallace (R)

Age — 64

Education — Graduated from Van Buren High School 1964

Employment — Custodian at Brazil City Hall for 8 years; receptionist and assistant to the clerk at the Clerk-Treasurer’s office for 15 years (total of 23 years in City Hall); appointed to clerk-treasurer in 1999, and served from 2000 to 2003; deputy clerk-treasurer 2004 to 2007

Family — Raised two nephews and has 7 grandchildren

• Karen L. McQueen (D)

Age — 29

Education — Graduated from Northview High school; bachelor’s degree in psychology from Indiana State University; associate’s degree in human services from Ivy Tech Community College; several classes in business, marketing and accounting from Ivy Tech Community College

Employment — Clay County Health Center, social service director; Area 7, case manager; stay-at-home mom; deputy clerk-treasurer

Family — Husband, Troy; daughter, 18-month-old Myra

        

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