Workman's case probably wasn't helped by the testimony of her daughter, Wilde, who testified that Workman had mentioned possibly placing the employee in the health department even before she met with Marshall.

Wilde said the idea of getting some help for the club came up when she was complaining — "as daughters do to their mothers" — about the possibility of losing Iorga, whom Wilde described as a "phenomenal" accountant who sought higher pay.

Wilde testified Workman said the county sometimes "loans out" employees and told her that a temporary position was open in the county health department.

The two worked out a convoluted arrangement whereby Iorga (and her successor, Schroder), would fill out a weekly county time card for 40 hours at $10 an hour, then another time card for the Boys and Girls Clubs for 15 hours at $8 an hour, resulting in $13 an hour for 40 hours of work.

"I didn't really think about it that much," Schroder said of the cumbersome arrangement.

Temporary workers are allowed to work only 1,040 hours a year for the county, so when the second accountant, Schroder, came close to her hourly limit, a third temporary employee was proposed for the club accountant.

But Terry Fortner, personnel manager for the mayor's office and administrative staff, said she called her boss to object and said she would not take care of the paperwork for the new, third employee.

"We don't use government money, taxpayer money, to hire an accountant to work for an independent agency," Fortner said. "I felt it was wrong, and I wasn't going to do it."