Records ‘missing’ from Pendergrass City Hall

A number of key records in Pendergrass City Hall are “missing,” town leaders claim. In addition, the city apparently didn’t pay any payroll taxes for a number of employees who worked as “contract labor,” nor did the city issue 10-99 tax forms to the employees.

In responding to an open records request made by The Jackson Herald last week, Mayor Monk Tolbert and administrator Rob Russell said they cannot locate copies of city credit card bills for 2007 and 2008, nor can the city find any cell phone bills for 2007 and 2008.

Pendergrass also apparently paid salaries to some city workers without any tax withholding and without issuing 10-99 forms to the employees.

Copies of city records show that the town was paying several people, including one illegal immigrant, on a regular basis from the SPLOST account for work, but that the town was not doing any tax withholding, treating them as “contract labor.”

The employees were not issued 10-99 tax forms. An open records request turned up no such documents, according to Pendergrass officials.

For the full story, see the August 19 issue of The Jackson Herald.

Comments

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#1 Interesting on 08/21/09 at 11:14 AM [Reply]

Do they really expect everyone to believe that these files are just missing???? If you refer back to the original article in the August 5th edition of the Jackson Herald Katherine Rintoul said that soon after the whistleblowers had met with Mayor Tolbert in June, credit card bills for 2007 and 2008 were suddenly removed from the files and locked away where she could no longer access them. I guess the town leaders have just forgetten where they put them! How many stories will everyone put up with before something is done. Surely the residents of this town are smart enough to see what is going on. This corruption needs to be fixed and fixed immediately. Those poor former employees who have lost their jobs are carrying the burden of doing the right thing. Maybe this miss can be straightened out and they can get their jobs back!

#2 FJCR on 08/22/09 at 03:18 AM [Reply]

Hey that's one way to keep your butt out of the fire. If there's a paper trail that can burn you just loose the records. No records and proof No crime.
And who thought Pendergrass was just going to turn over the records? No proof of corruption NO CORRUPTION. Then it goes back to your word against theirs? And you know how easy it is to misplace credit card bills, cell phone bills,and tax forms?

#3 Something stinks in Pendergrass on 08/22/09 at 07:37 AM [Reply]

If records were destroyed then why did the D.A. tell Rintoul, Rogers and Garners lawyer that there was nothing criminal? Isn't destoying records against the law?

#3.1 FJCR on 08/22/09 at 02:35 PM [Reply]

Something stinks in Pendergrass- I'm going to answer the last part of your statement first. Destroying city records is a Federal crime. Da Smith told them there was nothing criminal going on to protect the Tolberts. He probably already is or will be on the Pendergrass payroll. Why not they are paying off everyone else?

#4 please attend on 08/22/09 at 08:31 AM [Reply]

If anyone is serious about ending the corruption and getting some answers. Please attend the next Pendergrass city Council meeting. It is this coming Tuesday at the depot in downtown Pendergrass. It will be starting at 6PM and going until we get some answers. Please prepare your questions!!

#5 Hog wash on 08/22/09 at 11:38 AM [Reply]

I don't know why they would lose or get rid of the credit card bills, there has to be a record of the bills through the credit card companies for the City of Pendergrass, maybe someone could get a copy of them.

#5.1 FJCR on 08/22/09 at 02:44 PM [Reply]

Hog wash- The court will have to go through all the trouble of getting a Judge to sign an order to get them and Monk and Rob don't think the courts will go through that much trouble?

#6 George Jefferson on 08/22/09 at 11:49 AM [Reply]

FJCR:

Do you really think that just by simply misplacing, or shredding these documents they will just go away for good? Credit institutions keep these records on file, so they can be obtained by subpoena, or search warrant. There is corruption going on in Pendergrass and there always has been. The GBI doesn't need to wait on Brad Smith to call them, they still have original jurisdiction in Jackson County, and I wonder why.

#7 Pendergrass Citizen on 08/23/09 at 07:03 PM [Reply]

I have been following the reports of corruption in Pendergrass which is to say I have read every article there is to read on it in and I have watched every news clip I could find. I must admit my personal opinion is that the allegations are true and heads should roll. It is hard not to reach that opinion after seeing the evidence. However our justice system insures that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Therefore I believe that either Monk Tolbert should open up his city and invite any investigating agency in without limitations to scope and dispel any and all allegations and remove any doubt of his innocence and the innocence of those involved. Or the D.A. should order such and investigation. I strongly believe that until either of those things happen there will be no closure to this situation and a dark cloud will hang over Pendergrass for years to come. I am very confused and concerned on why the D.A. has not taken charge of this situation. One can not help but wonder why he has not and does he have a skeleton or two locked up in a closet at the Pendergrass city hall.

The letter Mr. Scott Tolbert submitted to the D.A.'s office requesting a very limited investigation into allegations that were never allegations to begin with upsets me and strengthens my opinion that the actual allegations are true. I hope that the D.A. sees this for what it is worth and does not waste time and tax payer money investigating something no one has been accused of. If I were the D.A. I would send the letter back and request he (Scott Tolbert) allow the D.A.'s offices to conduct a complete and unlimited investigation into the municipal court. If Scott Tolbert has nothing to hide that should be just fine. Right? Any how I am enjoying your papers coverage of the unfolding events and I look forward to your future articles. Keep up the good work!!

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Records ‘missing’ from Pendergrass City Hall

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Records ‘missing’ from Pendergrass City Hall

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