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Pocono News Section
Debit Card Pay Back Time
Debit Card Pay Back Time - Friday, December 7, 2007 at 6:41PM EST
Reported by: Jill Konopka
Friday, Dec 7, 2007 @06:41pm EST
(WILKES-BARRE, Luzerne County) - The latest chapter in the Luzerne County debit card debacle. Its time to pay up for those seven now defunct county issues debit cards. Several county officials who owed money for using the county debit card had to pay back the money by 4:30 Friday afternoon. The money is for purchases they could not provide a receipt for from those county issued debit cards. Six County officials and former Commissioner Todd Vonderheid met the 4:30 deadline and repaid almost $15,000.00 for purchases. Some of which were made and receipts weren’t kept. That amount is toward the $42,000.00 spent on county debit cards over a 21-month time frame. It's pay back day for county officials who spent nearly $42,000.00 on county issued debit cards. Several county leaders had to re-pay purchases they could not provide receipts for. Human Resource Director of the County, Doug Richards, "I'm following policies and directives give to me by my superiors and I'll have my information in the Controller’s office by deadline." That was 4:30 Friday afternoon and so far, all seven obliged. Commissioner Greg Skrepenak paid back more than $10,000.00 he charged to his debit card. The controller says he'll be re-imbursed several thousand dollars for providing receipts. Controller Maryanne Petrilla said, "This has been a difficult week in the county for everyone, if anything came out of it, we've learned from it, we're accountable to the people and we are public servants." Deputy Prison Warden Sam Hyder returned more than $1,300.00 from his county debit card while County Manager Sam Guesto paid back almost the same amount. Petrilla added, “I guess his perogative to reimburse the county for some of those expenses, although he did have receipts." Chief Deputy Clerk Bill Brace submitted almost $90.00 of more than $11,000.00 put on his county debit card Petrilla explains the difference for Brace's county business. Petrilla added, "He put a reservation on his card in his name for airline tickets for five people and hotels for five people" Election Director Leonard Piazza and former Commissioner Todd Vonderheid each repaid the county less than $500.00. Vonderheid says he chose to pay for some computer software for his county laptop. County Controller Maryanne Petrilla says Piazza re-paid a few minor items. "That was simply because he had meals he didn't have checks for and unfortunately some taxi cab fares," according to Petrilla. Petrilla will review the receipts this weekend. She also says of that $15,000.00 re-paid to the treasurer, she already knows several thousand will be reimbursed to Commissioner Greg Skrepenak because he did provide legitimate receipts for his county purchases. | | |
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