Letter to the Editor: Unethical Behavior Swept Under the Rug

This month the Kendall County Board approved a resolution that prohibits the use of public funds to purchase alcoholic beverages.

As you would expect, every board member voted for the resolution except Board Chairman John Purcell, who curiously voted “present”. 

Supporting the resolution, Board Member Jessie Hafenrichter stated “the ordinance puts into black and white what has always been known.” 

Jessie further stated, “It has always been understood that county funds cannot be used for alcohol. But it isn’t that clear and we are trying to make it a resolution to make it very clear we are on legal ground by not reimbursing people.”

Board Member Elizabeth Flowers expanded by stating, “The official will have to foot the bill for alcoholic drinks on a separate tab.” 

This issue was brought up nearly a year ago during a CB meeting and finally our county board is acting. At that time documentation was provided that showed questionable use of county credit by the Sheriff’s department. The evidence showed that the county credit card had been used at a Seneca convenience store to buy beer, ice and cocktail mixers. The receipt came from the Seneca convenience store records, not from the many FOIAs requested from the Sheriff’s Department.

This was one of many itemized receipts that was suspiciously “unavailable”.

The standard response was, “the Sheriff’s department is not in possession of the financial records you requested.” Also, the complaint filed regarding these questionable purchases was shuffled “Out of County” and seemingly buried.

No one has heard anything more about the questionable use of the county credit card by the Sheriff’s department, nor has our county board members ever followed up on those missing financial records, which should be readily available from the county’s bank. 

Originally, questions were raised into why Board Member John Purcell, who at the time was the county finance committee chairman, was not following the county auditor’s two-year-old deficient-audit finding with the auditor’s explicit recommendation that any bill submitted to the county finance committee must have an itemized receipt.

Only after this issue was brought to the forefront during the last election cycle, did now County Board Chairman Purcell decide to write a memo on this subject to all Kendall County elected officials and department heads requiring itemized receipts. Prior to this the finance committee routinely approved payment of non-itemized receipts.

It is a sad statement for governmental affairs when our county board must initiate a resolution that addresses the unethical behavior of few bad apples, but even more disgusting, where were the elected officials within our county government that should have disclosed and condemned this unethical behavior?

Kendall County residents have been footing the bill for this monkey business for a long time now, and it’s about time the “good old boy network” is held accountable while we find some candidates with a solid sense of integrity that will speak up for the interests of all county residents and not remain silent to protect a few well connected insiders.

Todd Milliron
Yorkville Area Resident

Letters to the Editor should be e-mailed to Yorkville Patch Editor Jillian Duchnowski at jillian.duchnowski@patch.com. They should be no more than 500 words, and please include your full name and a telephone number so Duchnowski can confirm the sender's identity.