I have asked the Sheriff and Prosecuting
Attorney of Summit County to complete a fact-finding report on certain financial practices
at Good Park and Mud Run Municipal Golf Courses. At the same time, I have directed my
staff to deliver to these authorities all records that have been assembled by city
officials during our internal review of cash management procedures at golf course
operations.I have taken these steps to assure the citizens of Akron that the final
report of facts will be completed independent of any city employee.
On May 7, I issued a statement to the press about our golf course operations. I stated
that the managers of these operations who are civil service employees, were unable to
produce specific documents tracking revenues and expenses for golf outings. No contracts
were used and no separate records of golf outings were kept. Subsequent to that discovery,
the Finance Director initiated a review of cash management practices at the municipal golf
courses for all future events.
In addition, members of my staff, together with the Finance and Law Departments
continued to assemble information that would document the deposit of certain payments to
City bank accounts as represented by the golf course manager, who also made these
representations directly to the Akron Beacon Journal and Cleveland Plain Dealer.
To date, the City has been unable to locate these documents.
Among the documents that are being provided to the Sheriff are copies of all checks
made payable to Good Park and Mud Run golf courses by individuals who participated in the
golf outing conducted by my campaign committee in June, 2003. As I have stated previously,
I have never asked for nor have I received any special considerations in the use of the
city’s golf courses; nor to my knowledge, has my committee. In fact, in its 2003
campaign filings with the Board of Elections, the Don Plusquellic Committee listed every
such payment made for golf at Good Park and Mud Run as an "in-kind"
contribution.
On May 7, I also appointed an independent chairman to head a review board that would
survey best practices in the management of municipal golf course operations. This board
has not yet been convened, and will not meet until such time that the internal accounting
review is completed by the Sheriff and Prosecutor.
As part of the 2002 City of Akron financial audit (completed in 2003), the City’s
outside public accounting firm Deloitte and Touche reviewed revenue procedures of Good
Park golf course. The public accountants made no material findings or recommendations.
There are no disciplinary actions pending against any city employee with regard to
these issues. However, in the event that the sheriff and prosecutor discover in their
review that there are grounds for such procedures, appropriate discipline will be taken.
