06/30/2011

Page 1

INSIDE Batteau festival comes ashore at Maidens’ Landing > page 2

Volume 57, Number 26 • June 30, 2011

Auditor’ report: alleged embezzlement is $180,470 Another $49,506 is listed as an estimate of accounting errors found in the turn over audit of funds received by Interim Treasurer Pamela C. Johnson. The Report on the Treasurer’s Turnover of Goochland County covers the transfer of assets to Pamela C. By Ken Odor Johnson, appointed Interim Treasurer effective April jodor@goochlandgazette.com 25, 2011, after the alleged fraud under the former treaA report released last week by the Auditor of Public surer. Grubbs was arrested February 2 this year, admitting Accounts Walter J. Kucharski puts the amount allegedly embezzled by former Goochland Treasurer Brenda S. at the time to cashing checks amounting to $135,000. She is scheduled to appear in Goochland Circuit Court Grubbs at $180,470. July 26 for arraignment on 20 felony counts of embezzlement, money laundering and attempted embezzlement. Not all discrepancies are likely to have been uncovereby the audit, wrote Kucharski in the report’s cover letter. “The lack of internal controls and the actions of the outgoing Treasurer make it unlikely that we have identified all the errors, reconciling items and other adjustments necessary to accurately determine all of the assets and liabilities that the incoming Treasurer will assume, especially for the county’s Operating Account,” wrote Kucharski, referring to a lack of segregation of duties and “basic operational processes common to any Treasurer’s Office.” Evidence of misappropriated funds has been turned over to law enforcement, wrote Kucharski. The report contains a section on Internal Control Issues outlining weaknesses found and suggested remedies plus a letter from the Interim Treasurer on changes made to put these remedies into practice. The auditor faulted treasurer’s office for some funFile photo by Ken Odor damental errors, such as not endorsing all checks imme-

Plus $49,506 in accounting errors noted in report

Former Goochland Treasurer Brenda S. Grubbs arrives for a preliminary hearing in May.

INDEX

Calendar 15 Classifieds 16-19 Letters 6 Local Exchange 10

Obituaries Opinion Sports TV Listings

7 6 12 13-15

see Report > page 2

Photo by Ken Odor

Beth Hardy says thinking outside the box is needed on the School Board.

Hardy will run for School Board in District 4 By Ken Odor jodor@goochlandgazette.com

Yet another new candidate for the Goochland School board has declared, as Beth Hardy said last week that she will run for the District 4 seat now held by Andrew Meng. Hardy stepped in when Sonya Marsh announced she would be moving out of state after her husband accepted a new job. According to an email from Marsh, Hardy had been on her campaign team. Hardy said as much in an interview Monday. “Her rescinding her candidacy was my reason for stepping up,” said

Hardy, who also said she had received encouragement to run from Meng in a meeting with him about a year ago. “He encouraged me to run then,” said Hardy, who has lived in Goochland for the last 12 years. With one child recently graduated from Goochland High School and three still in the system, Hardy has been active for years in the school system, she said, serving as Randolph Elementary School PTA president in 2009-2010. Hardy, a marketing and public relations consultant, has also served on the PTA board at Goochland

SPORTS

WEBSITE

Deep Run Horse Show doesn’t disappoint > page 12

Conventioneers visit Alvis Farm > goochlandgazette.com

see Hardy > page 3


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