Two Jerusalem Township trustees and the township's former fiscal officer were accused by township residents last night of misusing public cell phones.
Fiscal officer Julie Van Nest said she will release today records of cell phone calls made by township trustees as a partial response to public records requests made by township residents and newly elected Trustee Joe Kiss.
Mr. Kiss requested more than two months ago records of township credit card activity and receipts for purchases made by township trustees for the last two years, but former fiscal officer Donald Murray refused to comply with the records request.
"Mr. Murray said he could not comply because I wasn't specific enough with my request," Mr. Kiss said.
Mr. Murray also did not comply with a records request for cell phone records that resident Bill Hoops made, but newly elected fiscal officer Julie Van Nest, who defeated Mr. Murray in a November election, has agreed to comply with the request.
Ms. Van Nest declined to say whether she would redact information from the records."She's going to allow them to redact, I'm pretty sure yes," Mr. Kiss said.
During the meeting a resident asked Chairman Joe Gray why trustees needed cell phones paid for by taxpayers.
"The policy was made with [former trustee] Floyd Rodney and myself that the township trustees have cell phones," Mr. Gray said. "The policy was written that the trustees pay half their cell phones. I personally do not like to carry two cell phones, but sometimes the use of two cell phones is better for the township."
"It only cost the township like $35 per month per cell phone," Rodney Graffis said.
Trustee Kiss accused Mr. Gray during the meeting of lying about how much he was paying for his cell phone. "You told me you were paying $50 a month total," Mr. Kiss said.
"I told you wrong," Mr. Gray responded. "I was paying half of the cell phone just like I stated here."
Township resident Marie Wilson called for Mr. Gray to resign, which she's done at past meetings. "I don't think we're being told the truth concerning finances," she said. I don't trust him. I don't feel like he's good for the township."
Contact Chauncey Alcorn at:
calcorn@theblade.com
or 419-724-6168.
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