Letter to the Editor,
Do the voters think Murray County employees should be allowed to use county credit cards for personal use? What about using county credit cards for personal vacations? Wouldn’t that be against the law!
Steve Telkamp doesn’t seem to have a very good eye on the books. County records show a county credit card charge on September 3-7, 2017, was made by Sheriff Department employee using a county credit card during a personal vacation. The employee charged the Murray County Sheriff’s Department $341.38 for a rental car from Alamo in Orlando, Florida, and $10.90 for bridge and toll fees. I’m sure the employee will come up with a story about it being an accident. There is no excuse for it and the sheriff should be aware of what the county cards are used for. At the time the employee may not have had credit because this is about the same time there was a foreclosure on the employee’s house. Why would an employee have a card with her on a personal vacation? There may be other incidents of this kind if one has the time to look over all the books.
Sheriff Telkamp has stated another employee was being hostile toward 2 employees after this matter. Maybe the second employee is the one who discovered what the first employee charged and wanted to know why Sheriff Telkamp was allowing this felony to happen.
I have the feeling the books to the Murray County Sheriff’s Department should have an audit of some sort. There is too much money being used for unrelated county business with or without the Sheriff’s knowledge. There are too many credit cards in the wrong hands.
The Sheriff’s Department budget has gone much higher these past years and needs to come into check.
Your county, YOUR MONEY, Your decision!
Mary Magnus
