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Council reviews plan to void outstanding checks, refers matter to finance committee
Summary
The controller's office asked the council to void outstanding checks issued before Dec. 31, 2022, citing state guidance; councilors pressed for clarification on reissuing payments, potential unclaimed property rules, and whether banks or courts are excluded. The item was referred to the administration budget and finance committee for follow-up.
A controller’s office representative asked the Common Council to approve voiding outstanding checks issued before Dec. 31, 2022, to align with State Board of Accounts guidance and statute, and the council agreed to refer the matter to the administration budget and finance committee for further review.
The controller’s representative said the request aligns with SBOA and state statute and cited the relevant code while asking the council to “void outstanding checks issued by the controller's office before 12/31/2022.” The staff presentation noted the city’s internal stale-check policy effective June 2017 and indicated most items on the provided list appeared to be duplicates or expired checks.
Councilors questioned what would happen to funds after voiding. One councilor asked whether the city should make a “good faith effort” to contact potential payees or heirs before treating the amounts as unclaimed, saying she did not “feel right about putting people's money to the bottom line without making some sort of good faith effort.” The controller’s representative said the city had no intent to retain the funds as general revenue and would seek the state’s interpretation about reissuing or routing funds to the attorney general’s unclaimed-property processes.
Councilors also asked whether any items on the list — including entries for banks and Marion County Superior Court — might be excluded and whether funds could be placed in a suspense account pending clarification. The controller’s representative and other staff acknowledged those follow-up questions and the need to check exclusions and logistics before final disposition.
Council President directed the administration to refer the item to the administration budget and finance committee for further discussion and follow-up with the State Board of Accounts and legal counsel.
