It appears one of Oxford Township’s inspectors did report he was overpaid.
Last week, the Leader reported that three township inspectors were overpaid a combined total of between $100,000 and $140,000 from January to June 2004 due to a ‘computer error.?
According to township Building Official Mike Darling, Bob Gerds, who serves as the mechanical and plumbing inspector, notified him in February that he believed his paycheck for that month was more than it should be.
Darling said he told Gerds to examine the ‘printout? that accompanies the check ? which is essentially an itemized list of all the inspections he performed for that pay period ? but the building official admitted he ‘did not? look at it himself.
‘Obviously, the printout we were giving (the inspectors) was wrong, but nobody had realized it at that particular point,? Darling said. ‘All I could do was rely on what the computer was spitting out to me.?
Darling noted that Gerds did not bring up the overpayment issue to him again after February.
‘I don’t recall him mentioning it to me any time after that,? Darling said. ‘Not to me he didn’t.?
Darling said the other two inspectors ? Building Inspector Jim Wilson and Electrical Inspector Dale Birch ? did not report the overpayments to him at all.
Darling noted he does not believe there was any wrongful intent on the inspectors? part.
The overpayments were brought to Supervisor Dunn’s attention at the end of June and the township board dealt with the issue at a July 6 special meeting.
All three inspectors acknowledged the overpay ments following inquiries by the township and agreed to repay the money in full within four to six weeks, following verification by an auditor of the individual amounts each owes.
Although the inspectors? pay has been suspended until this matter is resolved, they are still performing inspections for the township. Any future decisions regarding the fate of the inspectors? employment status with the township or the posssibility of pressing criminal charges against them, specifically larceny by conversion, will be up to the township board, Dunn said. So far, the board has made no decisions in either area.
In last week’s issue, Supervisor Bill Dunn said the inspectors did not report the overpayments to the township while they were occurring. Immediately following publication, the supervisor promptly corrected his statement by contacting this reporter and directing him to Darling.
‘I’m sorry I misspoke,? Dunn said. ‘Gerds did say something about it to Darling in February. But after that Mike says nothing else was said.?
Darling said ‘normally? the computer program which tabulates the inspectors? pay is a ‘good, reliable system.? He said it ‘worked perfectly? in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
The program ‘may have just got tired,? he said. It has since been ‘rectified.?
When asked why someone didn’t catch the computer error (which basically kept adding all the previous months pay amounts since January 2004 to the current month’s amount) sooner than June, Darling attributed it to a couple of factors.
He said ‘sometimes you get complacent when a (computer) system’s worked perfectly before.?
The coming construction season in spring and summer also attributed to the overpayments not being caught by the Building Department.
From January on, ‘each month we get busier, busier and busier? as the number of inspections increase, he said. The increased pay seemed to correspond with the increasing number of inspections.
‘It snuck up on us,? Darling said. ‘It really did.?
What finally brought the overpayments to Darling’s attention was the fact the number of Wilson’s inspections decreased from May to June, yet his paycheck increased. ‘That’s what flagged it,? he said. ‘One of the staff said ‘this is awful high.??
The auditor tallying the exact amounts of overpayment will also be making recommendations to the township to prevent this from happening again. One change that will be made, according to Darling, is that from now on instead of relying on the computer, the inspection payments will be double-checked by hand by himself.
Darling did want it noted that none of the money overpaid to the inspectors came out of the township’s General Fund. He said all the money came from the Building Department’s budget, which is ‘self-sufficient? and funded by ‘inspection fees and permit fees.?
‘Township taxpayers didn’t get hurt by it,? he said.