From Deseret News archives:
Fund scandals erode coffers, Utahns' trust
Charges of forgery and embezzling $43,000 of public funds surfaced this past week against a Draper employee, while an Orem city employee is accused of siphoning more than $200,000 away from taxpayer funds.
The recent flurry of city government scandals may indicate government employees have become so lax about handling public funds that they feel justified in taking a little off the top, said Draper City Manager Eric Keck.
But as city employees further fuzz ethical boundaries, taxpayers may be the ones losing out and losing faith in government in the process.
"It has been my experience that individuals become comfortable in a setting where they think they know how far they can push the envelope, and then they do something illegal," Keck said.
With former Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman now on trial for misusing public funds, government leaders pushing ethical limits have raised awareness that any public official may be tempted to cross the line, Keck added.
In Draper's case, code enforcement officer Betty McKendrick, 46, was charged Thursday with diverting money from an anti-littering program to her own bank account. The felony charges include misusing public money, forgery and theft. McKendrick was a city employee for six years.
Even long-time employees with clean track records can be tempted by the easy access to public funds, Keck said.
"It's all about ensuring there are adequate controls so they don't become complacent when they handle cash," Keck said.
Draper city employees do get an annual ethics refresher course, complete with copies of the Utah Public Officials and Employee Education Act of the state code, which aims to "promote the public interest and strengthen the faith and confidence of the people of Utah in the integrity of their government." The code delineates everything from recognizing conflicts of interest to accepting gifts and disclosing protected information.
But Colin Wood, North Salt Lake city manager, said training is not always enough to curb unethical behavior.
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