The Cleveland County district attorney's office has launched an investigation into problems surrounding a county employee's vacation and sick leave, District Attorney Greg Mashburn confirmed Tuesday.
Those problems, detailed in a July 6 turnover audit by State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan, uncovered some "fairly large discrepancies" in a county employee's vacation and sick leave, McMahan's spokesperson Terry Watkins said. Officials have declined to name the employee.
Watkins said the problems include:
The vacation, sick and compensatory times use, as noted on leave balance sheets, do not agree with time sheets.
The June 30, 2006, ending balance for the employee's vacation leave was negative 224.42 hours.
The June 30, 2006, ending balance for the employee's sick leave was negative 15.75 hours.
Full leave accruals were received despite not having worked a complete month and having negative vacation and compensatory balances.
The audit covered the 2006 fiscal year.
On Tuesday, Mashburn confirmed his office had received the audit and started an investigation.
"We are looking into it, absolutely," he said. "I, personally, have reviewed it a couple of times, and assistant district attorney Dave Batton will be working with county officials in all aspects of the audit."
Mashburn said his office would examine the time sheet discrepancies and the other issues raised by the audit. As part of that investigation, he said, his office would request a meeting with officials from the state auditor's office.
"We're going to have to go back to the auditor and ask them for a meeting so we can be clear on some (of the audit's) recommendations and what absolutely must happen to be in compliance," Mashburn said.
That investigation, he said, could take some time.
"We're in the process of sending a letter right now, so it may take some time to go back and forth."
In the audit, McMahan's office recommended that "all county time sheets be properly calculated and completed -- and be approved and signed by the employee and the county official after each pay period. The state auditor also recommended the "employee's pay be reduced for time off when leave balances have been exhausted."
During the time covered by the audit, the District 1 office was led by former Commissioner Bill Graves. Graves died in April, following complications from surgery. Graves' first deputy, Mark Meyer has served as interim commissioner since Graves' death.
Meyer will be replaced today by Rod Cleveland, 40, who was elected in July to serve the remainder of Graves' term.
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