Michigan City commission tables treasurer's report after accounting discrepancies

The Michigan City Commission on the Social Status of African American Males voted Feb. 11 to table its treasurer’s report after members identified unexplained discrepancies in the commission’s accounting.

During the meeting, the treasurer reported a beginning balance and recent deposits, including a $3,000 deposit from the mayor’s special event fund. Commissioners said those figures did not reconcile with other records: members referenced a previously received $4,000 check, several withdrawals, and a controller’s statement showing a cash position of $62.25. "Our beginning balance is $4,574.19, which includes a $3,000 deposit from the mayor's special event fund," a member reported; other commissioners responded that the numbers “don’t add up.”

Because the ledger entries and bank statements did not match, a motion was made that the treasurer sit down with the city clerk to reconcile the records and bring a corrected report to the commission’s next meeting. The motion to table the treasurer’s report until next month passed after being seconded; members did not record a numeric roll call in the transcript, only the unanimous voice vote, "Aye."

The commission asked the treasurer to document pending invoices (one pending check of $250 was cited) and to compare the commission’s internal balance sheet with statements received from the controller’s office before the next meeting. The group also discussed adding explanatory line items to the statement (for example, accounts-payable invoices and donations) so future reports show how deposits and expenditures were recorded.

Next steps: the treasurer and city clerk will reconcile accounts and return to the commission with an updated statement. The commission did not adopt any expenditures or policy changes while the report remained under review.