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Finance chief reports $2.47M balance, describes intercepted check fraud
Summary
Fiscal officer Brian Bibler told Baltimore Village Council the village reconciled $2,466,911.70 between bank and books, noted large equipment purchases and described two checks altered and forged by mail scammers; staff recovered funds using the bank's positive-pay system.
Brian Bibler, the village fiscal officer, told the council on March 9 that the village’s bank-to-books balance stands at $2,466,911.70 and that last month’s check register recorded $471,541.92 in transactions. He highlighted two significant purchases—a bobcat for about $68,000 and a new water-department vehicle for roughly $29,000—and said interest on bonds and OWDA reimbursements also affected the reconciliation.
"The cliff notes is we end up with the balance of between the bank and the books, $2,466,911.70," Bibler said as he reviewed the monthly statements. He described outstanding checks of about $125,000 and explained the process for credit-card deposits tied to utility billing.
Bibler also described an incident in which someone altered checks in the mail and cashed them after changing the payee. He said the village voided two checks, but images of altered checks later appeared and one was cashed; Park National Bank’s positive-pay procedures helped the village recover the funds. "Mail fraud's gotten bad," Bibler said, noting that the village ultimately got its money back.
Council members asked for clarification on a recorded transaction identified in the register as a payout to an individual named in the ledger; Bibler said the majority of that cost was covered by insurance, with a $2,500 deductible borne by the village and suggested executive-session follow-up if litigation details were necessary.
The council approved the finance reports as presented after a motion and roll call. The approval followed discussion of revenue performance, which staff said is meeting expectations for this early point in the year, and review of appropriation rates across funds.
The mayor and council also discussed ongoing grant work and loan strategies to fund water infrastructure projects, while Bibler emphasized continued oversight of the village’s bank controls and positive-pay protections.
The council scheduled the next finance committee meeting for April 13 and sent routine reconciliation documents to the official record.
