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Circuit clerk to examine accounts
Published Wednesday, August 20, 2008
NATCHEZ — Adams County Circuit Clerk Eddie Walker is about to begin an in-depth investigation into three checking accounts he inherited when he took office to determine where a large sum of money goes.
Walker said the three accounts cover criminal, civil and garnishment funds. The accounts were used to collect and disburse funds.
For instance, Walker said if a party were ordered to pay restitution in a criminal case the money would be given to the county, placed in the criminal account, then given to the party to receive restitution.
Walker said the three accounts contain a “substantial sum of money.”
He has known about the accounts since shortly after he took office, Walker said, but they were frozen by the county while Walker was settling into his new position.
Walker asked for such measures, since previous Circuit Clerk M.L. “Binkey” Vines faced charges due to repeated accounting woes.
“That was an abundance of caution on my part,” he said.
When Walker took office he said he wanted to establish a very clear line between his administration and Vines’.
And Walker’s take over of the unused accounts won’t be any different.
Walker said he plans to have the money transferred into a new account that will specifically meant to handle the old Vines accounts.
“There won’t be any commingling with his accounts,” he said. “They’ll be totally separate and kept that way.”
But not much else can happen until Walker takes control of the accounts.
Walker said he did not know if there was any wrongdoing associated with the accounts.
During the last county audit, Vines did not provide copies of his ledgers of the criminal, civil and garnishment journals.
Once Walker takes control of the accounts, an examination will reveal who owes money to the county and who is owed money by the county.
Walker said that won’t be a quick process and he’s already been approached by 15-20 people who claim they are owed money from the accounts.
Walker said the entire situation was like an accounting nightmare.
To address that nightmare the Adams County Board of Supervisors amended Walker’s budget to hire a new part-time accountant specifically to work through the accounts.
Walker said he has no idea how long it would take to work backward through the accounts.
County attorney Bobby Cox said it won’t be an easy task.
“Due to lack of records it will be a slow, painstaking process to see who gets what,” he said.
“And we want to make sure it all gets to the right hands.”
Comments
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 1:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Coffee Can" accounting at it's best,, but I see the reason...CYA!
Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 1:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How does the monies get scrambled around like eggs and lost in the offices and nobody seems to notice or catch the mistakes until an auditor finally decides to check the accounts? The accounts must be set up for easy pickins. Maybe they need to change the way they keep track of the money,naw that,s too simple. Just keep it the way they have it so it can get scrambled some more.
Posted by grrbrts (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 3:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It seems to a wishy washy situation to me. I feel sorry for the people that SHOULD be awarded the funds. It's now up to them to be honesties.
Posted by seeemeeego (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 6:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So the court did not order Binky to turn over his ledgers that he had withheld from the auditors? That's unbelievable. Well, considering the way the judge handled the matter, right down to the sentencing, I guess it's really not that unbelievable at all.
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Walker said the three accounts cover criminal, civil and garnishment funds. The accounts were used to collect and disburse funds."
If I were in Adams County and I was ordered to pay a fine(s) and I did, this would make me a little nervous according to how this is supposed to work. The fine can very well be paid and due to poor handling, who would know? The money is just "sitting" there? What about restitution pay offs? Has the appropriate party received their restitution if the money is just sitting there?
Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 8:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Eddie Walker has a huge task of not only taking on a new position but that of cleaning up the huge mess left behind by Binky. Cleaning up an office that had accounting errors would be one thing but trying to go in and clean up an office that was based on crooked accounting is entirely different. That is a position that few of us would want to take on. I know Eddie Walker will get the job done right, which will be a much needed change for Adams County.
Posted by obamayamama (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Uh oh, sooounds like twouble!!
Posted by m3h5 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 10:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am one of the people that money is owed too. It is a shame that Binky screwed us, now Walker will not let us have the funds. Walker has been told by 3 City officials to release the funds and will not. It has put my family in a financial bind and if I was to vote today, I would not vote for Walker.
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 11:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
m3h5, you my friend are the ones I was speaking of in my post. For all you know, the party didn't pay and this is how people can wind up re-arrested due to the county's non-cooperation with these types of situations. It's not just people like yourself who are owed money, but what about those who have paid? I know this guy has inherited a mess, but if he has been asked to release the funds and won't, you may need to seek further assistance on getting your share.
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
you had a chance to not put walker in and did not do it his wife cannot even do the county finances now i see the supervisors gave him a helper hell we need another auditor don't you think more tax payers money WALKER PAY m3h5 HER MONEY BUT m3h5 CITY OFFICIALS DONOT RUN THE COUNTY OFFICES OR OFFICIALS SO QUIT TALKING TO THE CITY SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED TO TALK TO JUDGE AL JOHNSON OR LILLIE SANDERS AND MAKE HIM PAY YOU IF IT HAS BEEN PAID IN ALL IT TAKES IS A COURT ORDER
SHOULD HAVE VOTED FOR DONNIE H
Posted by m3h5 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I did vote for Donnie the 1st time around. I have proof
that the paying party paid. Walker is just being overly cautious on giving us the funds. WE have contacted everyone, they just say wait. We are waiting, but I am demanding interest of 8% for every day that they have held the funds.
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
go and talk to one of the circuit judges and you will get your money I am a lawyer myself and I know you can get it if it has been paid m3h5 judge johnson is the senior judge try him first
Posted by pbnj (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 12:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I believe that Eddie is just being cautious. But, you should be entitled to a percent in late penalties just as you would have to pay if you were late paying money to city/county.
Posted by Peace007 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 12:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"is about to begin an in-depth investigation into three checking accounts"
Why now? Why didn't he begin that right away? How many months has he been in office? A year?
Posted by fay2ntz (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My point exactly Peace007!! He has been in office almost a year and he opened up his own accounts the beginning of December. When he came into the office his main thing seemed to be was to make sure that he cleaned office and brought in his new staff first before even learning from the old staff on how to even do the smallest things. Mr. Walker did not know how to take in new cases, put them into the computer and etc. but wanted to get rid of anything associated with the old administration. He took his time even opening accounts under his administration while still taking in money daily. Did he even put those deposits in their proper places? Holloway would have done it much better than this!! Walker enjoy the next 3 because you probably won't go back in.
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 6:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As I said in the beginning...Walker is a crook.I wouldnt be suprised if Walker hasnt been dipping in the taxpayers money himself.I guess every short fall in the funds will still be blamed on Binkey....I have been in the clerks office a few times and he seems to not have a clue as to whats going on...good luck in finding a new job in 3 yrs Eddie
Posted by rls39120 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 8:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
First, this entire mess goes back to the Vines administration, so place blame where it belongs. Second, I don't think it matters who went into this office after Vines, they would be encountering the same problems that Walker is encountering. I think it is just plain common sense that these accounts should have been frozen until it can become clear who the funds truly belong. Otherwise, every Tom, Dick, and Harry on the street is going to lay claim to the funds. Not only that, but the legal ramifications that Walker could face if he had started handing out funds that he did not know where they came from nor where they should be delivered. Is it fair that the people due the money should wait? Certainly not, but that is the way of the world. Not everything is fair. Someone had to jump into this nightmare of a situation and sort it out. It will take time, but that seems to be what is required to get it right. Best wishes to the families awaiting funds, and also to the folks sorting this mess out!!!
Posted by blueyed59 (anonymous) on August 20, 2008 at 10:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
sure hope this means some people from drug court might get some money back. I know of several people that had to pay again because no record was found where they had paid. good luck Eddie
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on August 21, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i thought they achecked the books when binkey got in trouble, so now we are being told no one did a audit
i remember when the county paid eddies wife to help binkey. sure looks like she helped him helped him out and put her husband in
come on eddie pay these people and quit making excuses the state auditor said he was finished with his audit of the county after he found things wrong in binkeys office its time to quit beating binkey
eddie and his boss then ronnie harper were the ones getting binkey out of office so eddie could run nothing else folks
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on August 21, 2008 at 8:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i think the taxpayers of adams county is starting to see what a mistake it was to put mr walker in office...
Posted by BOBCAT1974 (anonymous) on August 23, 2008 at 12:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know it's been almost a year, just give Eddie a chance,he's trying to sort thru this mess that he inheirted.Eddie we're still backing you 100%.
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