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Schuylkill clerk requests CARES fund audit

Schuylkill County Clerk of Courts Maria Casey has sent a letter to state Auditor General Timothy DeFoor requesting an audit of CARES funds given to the county.

Dated Feb. 10, the letter asked DeFoor to “kindly consider” the request.

“Despite receiving almost 13 million dollars in funds, only a very small portion was applied to local businesses and nonprofits. Indeed, the vast amount of funds was applied to projects that should have been in the budget,” the letter reads.

Disbursements from the general fund listed CARES Act are provided.

The county received $12,765,970 of CARES money. A full list of applicants who received the $1,098,112 was provided before. At the time, officials said 22 municipalities, 24 nonprofits, and 30 small businesses received money. The county kept a majority of the money for expenses associated with the pandemic.

Commissioners, Finance Director Paul Buber and Mark Morgan, director of Susquehanna Accounting & Consulting Solutions Inc., Harrisburg, said those who applied and met criteria were funded. Information was not provided on those who applied but were not awarded funding.

Residents, business leaders and Robert S. Carl Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, have expressed frustrations with the outcome.

Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary Hess said Casey is within her right to request an audit of CARES money.

“Any citizen has the right to do that,” Hess said Monday.

Hess has been a vocal critic of the allocation and expenditure of the money the county received from the federal government.

“The people need to have accountability of the total amount of money. Once we get that, it needs to made public. I want to see a balance sheet,” Hess said.

Hess has asked on several times for a final tally.

Commissioners approved a fee for service contract last month with Susquehanna Accounting & Consulting Solutions Inc. not to exceed $50,000 to provide technical consulting for the county from Jan. 4 through Dec. 31, 2021. Hess voted no, saying he could not vote for the contract because he had not seen an exact accounting of where the CARES money went.

Commissioners’ Chairman Barron “Boots” Hetherington said previously a specific breakdown hasn’t been provided because some nonprofits were being evaluated for funding.

Hetherington said Casey can do as she wishes in sending the letter.

“We didn’t do anything wrong or improper,” Hetherington said Monday with the CARES funding.

Commissioner George Halcovage Jr. did not return call for comment.