Crawfordsville clerk investigated

    CRAWFORDSVILLE ? A state auditor?s report has revealed that former Crawfordsville City Clerk John Hamil received improper payments from the city?s checking account to his personal residence. The audit shows that approximately $32,000 in improper disbursements were made from the city treasury between July 1, 1999 and Feb. 28, 2009. Among the improper disbursements were $8,733.17 in telephone service and $9,947.47 in electric service to Hamil?s residence.

    Hamil was the city clerk of Crawfordsville from 1982 until February 2009. As the city clerk, Hamil was responsible for utility billing, disbursements, payroll and preparing city council minutes and financial reports.   

    Ruth Johnsen was hired to replace Hamil as the city clerk in 2009. According to the State Auditor?s investigation, Johnsen noticed a discrepancy between a telephone bill the city received and the amount of money paid to the telephone provider. When the city council looked into the matter further, they learned that there was a discrepancy between checks the city wrote to electric service providers and what those providers had actually charged. The council subsequently asked the State Auditor?s Office to perform a review of the city?s financial transactions.

For more, see our March 1 print edition.