elsewhere in the state. We're working with
BS&A for training for all employees-we
may have to start over with a clean sys-
tem,”Heise said at themeeting.
Clinton confirmed that Plante Moran
auditors required “one piece of informa-
tion,” relating to the long overdue 2015
township audit and the missing $1.1 mil-
lion. The audit was due June 30 and the
state is now withholding revenue sharing
funds. Clinton said he believes the glitch
was somewhere in the reconciliation of
the property taxes and pointed out that it
was the clerk's responsibility to maintain
the General Ledger, a job Edwards had
assumed. Clinton said it's too early to say
the money is truly missing, only that it is
not where it is supposed to be and has not
been located.
Clinton said he was not suggesting
there was anything illegal and that it was
something the Plante Moran auditors
found.
“We don't know. I don't know what I
don't know yet,” Clinton said. “I'm not sug-
gesting anything illegal.”
In a revealing report letter draftedNov.
20, Plante Moran auditors noted signifi-
cant differences between bank statements
and the general ledger that were not iden-
tified or corrected until three days before
the newboard took over.
“The amount of the difference was
$1,100,000 more than the general ledger
reported. When we investigated, it turned
out to represent property tax collections
that had been transferred to the General
Fund but not recorded as such,” the audi-
tors noted in the report.
Vorva said they are very busy “spend-
ing time on tasks that have to get done,”
pointing to the township audit, zoning
issues, computer access for all employees
andFOIA requests.
“When you don't have a good account-
ing trail-we have to ferret that out, we're
going to be reconciling bank statements,
but we have to get the audit done,” Vorva
said.
The newly-elected clerk said he's not
complaining, but, “there was no transi-
tion” when he took control. “Nancy
(Conzelman) never responded.” He
blames the assumption that Conzelman
thought she had a valid excuse not to
respond after she announced she was
running as a write-in candidate, “obvious-
ly thinking she was going to be re-elect-
ed.”
“We just have to get things done, and
change the process-it's too soon to say
there was any wrongdoing,” Vorva said. “I
question how things were done and how
things are supposed towork.”
Vorva cited certain accounting prac-
tices and one major concern he has is the
mailing of township bank statements to
post office boxes.
“I'm working with the treasurer and
Plante Moran to finish the audit. The
detail just was not there…How do you
lose checks? Was it gross negligence? It's
no question there was sloppy bookkeep-
ing.”
There are 17 bank depositories on
record for township funds, accounts that
were established by Edwards. Clinton
said that at the Dec. 6 board meeting the
board will be asked to approve next years
bank depositories and he believes that
number will go to four from the current
17.
Heise said he didn't want to label any-
thing as gross negligence. “I can't make
that determination now, but they've made
uswork a lot harder.”
Heitman said he fears theremight be a
time when the taxpayers could have to
make up the loss, but added that he was
only speculating.
The three officials urged the citizens
group to continue their meetings and
watchdog efforts. The group agreed to
continue their meetings, after the first of
the year on a bi-monthly basis beginning
in January at the Plymouth Library and
other locations to be announced.
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
2
December 8, 2016
P
LYMOUTH
Cash
FROM PAGE 1
There are no plans to replace
Plymouth Township Parks and
Grants Director Mike Mitchell
who reportedly resigned last
week, according to newly-elected
TownshipSupervisorKurtHeise.
Mitchell's departure and his
whereabouts have been the topic
of speculation for the past three
months. Fellow township employ-
ees and residents have openly
questioned Mitchell's job status
after not finding him at any usual
work location since mid-August.
Many disgruntled township work-
ers claimed that while he was not
on the job, he was still being paid
by the township.
Mitchell was the political
appointee of defeated Township
Supervisor Shannon Price, fol-
lowing him to the township from
his staff job with the Wayne
County Commission. Price creat-
ed the new position for Mitchell
in June 2016 after his appoint-
ment to the supervisor's job.
Mitchell, paid $63,277 annually,
served as Price's personal aide
during his tenure on the commis-
sion. He took the new recre-
ation/grants position in the town-
ship after approval by the former
board members. His background
check was purportedly complet-
ed by a committee including
Northville Township Manager
Chip Snider, Plymouth Township
Human Resources Director
JoAnn Coobatis and the late
township Trustee Kay Arnold. At
the time, Price told board mem-
bers Mitchell's employment
would generate cost savings to
the township and lauded his pre-
sumed expertise in writing
grants. Plymouth Township Fire
Chief Dan Phillips, however, said
he was unaware of any govern-
ment grants for township public
safety services written or pre-
pared by Mitchell during
Mitchell's tenure.
Heise said he was told by
Coobatis that Mitchell was “gone”
when he arrived at township hall
last week.
“I don't know whether he quit,
resigned or was asked to leave,
Heise said. “He probably knew
he wasn't going to stay long under
my watch. Had I fired him, I'd
have all the details.”
When Mitchell's employee sta-
tus was questioned by residents
and officials during the past
months, Price dismissed the
questionswith a quick “he'swork-
ing” reply.
Records obtained by The
Eagle through a Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) request
show Mitchell was paid a month-
ly average of $2,353.85 up to Nov.
10. According to his Pay
Statement Report his time card
shows his last day of work as
Friday, Oct. 21.
“Price was a political
appointee, an at-will employee
and we're not filling his position,
we're saving the money,” Heise
said.
Mitchell's resume included a
PhD in Molecular Cytogenetics, a
master's degree in Human
Genetics and bachelors degrees
in chemistry andbiology.
Before working with Price on
his campaign, Mitchell was a
familiar face in Lansing and in
the local political arena while
serving as chair of the 11th
District Republican Committee.
He served as a legislative direc-
tor for Wayne County
Commissioner Joe Barone who
filled the remainder of Price's
second termwhen Price resigned
to take the township supervisor
appointment.
In July 2015, Mitchell was
involved in an infamous alterca-
tion with former Treasurer Ron
Edwards at the township park
over the placement of No-
Parking signs. Both Mitchell and
Edwards vehemently denied the
near fisticuffs altercation ever
took place when questioned by
Fox-2 News reporters. Later a
seasonal park employee who wit-
nessed the incident and a former
township police officer-park fore-
man exposed the details of the
event.
Several calls to Coobatis and
an email inquiry were not
returned.
Don Howard
Staff Writer
I don't know whether he quit, resigned
or was asked to leave. He probably knew
he wasn't going to stay long under my watch.
Had I fired him, I'd have all the details.
”
Township recreation/grants director leaves job
