Something Fishy in the Water.

What hasn't been answered in public is why on earth did the City of Grand Terrace spend the excessive payment of 2.3 Million that was paid to it? Let's think about it for a bit. If you go to your bank's ATM and ask for 20.00 and you get 2000000, you are obligated to inform the bank and return the money that is not yours. You don't have the right to go on a shopping spree.

So although a repayment plan has been agreed to, the citizens still aren't fully informed as to what happened to that money we weren't entitled to. Who's pay raise was approved, what project was paid for, what bills were paid, what golden handshake was paid for? If the money wasn't spent, it would be siting in a fund some where ready to be paid back. This is the behind closed doors discussion that the Citizens are not being told.

Let's think back to how many times the "Professional" Finance Department has been the source of problems. The non payment of withholding taxes on City Council Members, the confusion about the Red light Revenues, the unrecorded payments for the sale of city property to city employees, the payment of Schwab's house being improperly recorded for years, and now this use of a significant overpayment. Under who's direction are these decisions being made and the Finance Department just going along with that Management Decision. What were the decussions in City Hall when they found they had recieved a windfall of extra unexpected cash?

This all smells a bit fishy. I don't feel we have gotten all the truth. We can handle the truth the question is, who is being protected from possible legal action for their "error" in judgment when they used funds that they most likely knew the city should have reported as an overpayment.