AL - Mayor: 'Glitch' caused shortfall in Trinity funds

By Ronnie Thomas DAILY Staff Writer

TRINITY -- Mayor Vaughn Goodwin said Tuesday the Alabama Bureau of Investigation ruled that a computer glitch caused inaccuracies in the town's bookkeeping, following the agency's week-long probe late last month.

Goodwin said office personnel immediately contacted Southern Accounting Systems Inc. of Tuscumbia and that the firm has corrected the problem. SAS sold the town its software for about $25,000.

ABI agent Mack Atkinson of Huntsville reviewed Trinity's processes at Goodwin's request. At the time, the mayor said it was no secret the town was having problems with its Water Department billing.

But the culprit turned out to be errors in Municipal Court recordings and refunds due to people posting bonds.

For example, Goodwin explained, if someone spends 10 days in jail and posts a $500 cash bond, he is credited for $15 per day for time incarcerated.

"That leaves a $350 balance to be refunded to him," Goodwin said. "The computer wasn't deducting the money and made it appear the town was short."

Also at the time he asked for assistance, Goodwin said he was trying his best not "to get the public in an uproar. No employee has been accused of any wrongdoing." He said he only wanted "to make sure that as long as I'm responsible and in control that everything concerned with the business of the town is being done correctly."

He said Tuesday that after the books were closed on the investigation, nothing has changed insofar as employees are concerned.

"No one was accused of anything from the beginning, and that's the way it remains," he said. "Now, all we want to do is put this behind us and move forward. The case is closed, it is behind us, and I don't want to talk about it any more."

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/010627/glitch.shtml

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

Answers

I would really liked to have read when SAS
installed this software.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 2001