WHAT YOU REALLY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE PETITION TO RECALL PAT EVON


The charge: The Treasurer simply does not know how to do his job.

The truth: I do know how to do my job. What I don’t know is how to do the work of three people. My Deputy worked for four months without being paid. The board has failed to recognize their fiduciary and statutory responsibilities of providing adequate staffing.


The charge: Issued a check in excess of $1,000,000 without funds to cover it.

The truth: The check to Pinckney schools did have funds to cover it and the funds were transferred before the check was cashed. This was verified with the bank. The recall implication is that this check bounced. This is not true. The check was never returned to the Pinckney schools.


The charges: $276,000 in tax receipts and utility billings were not deposited for over a week $243,342 in State Revenue sharing was not receipted for 6 weeks $217,816 in State Revenue Sharing was not receipted for 10 days $240,000 in Ore Lake SRF deposit was not receipted for 10 days.

The truth: Deposits and accounting journal entries fell behind because the office was understaffed. The office was understaffed because the Board refused to pay the Deputy Treasurer. Hardly a surprise and I warned the Board in advance. Some things had to be prioritized.


The charge: An open box filled with un-receipted Cash and Checks for Sewer payments was discovered in an unsecured area.

The truth: The Treasurer’s Office has multiple layers of security. This never occurred in the Treasury. I would never leave money in an unsecured area.


The charge: He has made no attempt to collect thousands of dollars in delinquent taxes.

The truth: With the office understaffed, it’s been all I can do to collect the taxes being paid. There are delinquent personal property taxes, mainly inherited from my predecessor, that I would like to go after once the employment situation in the office stabilizes. If the Township Board were interested in collecting delinquent taxes, they would have voted to pay my Deputy and staff my office adequately to do so.


The charge: He refuses to use outside Auditors to help address major problems.

The truth: As I told the Auditor, I will fully cooperate to implement whatever improvements he suggests. I think this charge refers to my refusal to commit, in advance, to whatever the Auditor might suggest, such as turning over control of my department to another department.


The charge: Posts electronic deposits in accounts weeks late and/or into the wrong account.

The truth: Currently all electronic deposits are transmitted to one bank and one account This. process is part of the daily closing procedure. When funds are transferred to the wrong account (and with 50 accounts it is bound to happen), corrections are made


The charge: Continues to place Township funds in risky investments.

The truth: Again not true. It is true that someone placed township funds in risky investments, but it wasn’t me. The previous Treasurer invested $3.5 million with an unapproved company before leaving office. We have recovered that money and we are now in compliance with the township’s investment policy.


The charge: Pays banks he likes to deal with excessive Banking fees.

The truth: Bogus. The Board approves the township’s depositories, not the Treasurer.


THE BOARD CAN REMOVE A TREASURER IN COURT IF THERE IS A REAL PROBLEM. THEY HAVEN’T GONE TO A JUDGE BECAUSE THERE IS NO SUBSTANCE TO THESE CHARGES SO THEY ARE COMING TO YOU WITH A RECALL INSTEAD.