Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Battle of the clerks

County and Bellevue reviewing records to settle dispute


By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

A $40,000 dispute between Blaine County and the city of Bellevue over payments for law enforcement services in Bellevue over the past four years is set to be resolved by those individuals closest to the two agency's accounting records—the clerks.

Bellevue City Clerk Dee Barton will work with County Clerk JoLynn Drage to resolve the dispute. The Bellevue City Council is scheduled to review the clerks' reports on Aug. 26.

The billing issues arose after the Bellevue City Council voted a few weeks ago to discontinue a contract with the county's Sheriff's Office in September, and instead contract with the Hailey Police Department for law enforcement services.

The Bellevue City Council then accused Blaine County of overcharging the city $40,000 over the past four years.

The Bellevue City Council did authorize payment of $132,000 to Blaine County on Aug. 12, the day after it received a letter from County Administrator Derek Voss. His letter stated that the city owed the county $8,588 for services in 2008 and owed the county $123,511 for the remainder of this fiscal year.

"Unlike the city of Bellevue, which believes we may owe them a refund, it seems from our books that they might owe us additional funds," Voss said.

"There was never any doubt that we would make our payment," said Bellevue Mayor Chris Koch on Friday.

The disputed $40,000 arises from a list of supposed inconsistencies in financial agreements between the two jurisdictions over payments for law enforcement services since 2007.

Bellevue City Council Chairman Dave Hattula said in an interview that the overcharges apparently arose from unauthorized salary increases.

Hattula said the increases were added to law enforcement contracts each year late in the budgeting process, leaving the city little time to question them.

"We want to make sure everybody is treated fairly and that no one is covering the other's bills," Koch said.

( In other Bellevue news, the Blaine County Sheriff's Office returned two Bellevue Marshal's Office patrol cars to City Hall, as requested by Hattula. The Sheriff's Office had stored the cars in a secure compound in Hailey when not in use.

Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com




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