Auditor Coker bows out on commission session

Claiming she was misled in a meeting last week with county commissioners, Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker canceled a planned followup meeting this week with county commissioners to submit a plan to resolve budget issues.

Coker sent an email last Wednesday, April 23, one day after she met with commissioners in a long and intense session about the decision by Standard & Poors to withdraw their rating on county bonds. The S & P move cited lack of county financial information which stemmed from the failure of the county auditor to submit the annual financial report, now approximately six months late.

“As I think back over the meeting this week, I see no reason to meet again with the full board on the subject,” Coker said in her email.

“I was misled as to what the meeting would entail; I refuse to be blindsided and chastised by any member of the board as I was on Monday,” she said in the email.

“I will continue to work with Mr. Largent, as we really are both on the same page on looking at the bigger picture and moving the county financial processes into a better model. I always welcome Mr. Kinzer’s thoughts, advice and input. I will continue to work with the Treasurer to try to bring the SAO Performance Center to the county.

“We all work for the people of this county, and it (is) with them in mind, including those that work under me, that I will continue to strive for what is best,” Coker’s email concluded.

Commissioners Monday morning expressed their disappointment.

Board Chairman Art Swannack read Coker’s email and then read his response. Swannack replied to Coker’s cancellation the next day, April 24.

“I’m sorry to hear this Eunice. I don’t believe anything that would qualify as being blind-sided happened. I explicitly stated when I asked you if you would attend the meeting that we would be discussing the current status of the county in regards to the S&P report and state audit, their implications and affect on county operations and what the plans were to fix the accounting system. That is what was covered.

“No systematic and comprehensive plan to fix flaws was presented to the BOCC (commissioners). That is what resulted in the more difficult discussion. The BOCC is now forced into discussing what courses of action are available to protect the county and where we should focus our efforts.

“I had high hopes for you to be leading a comprehensive solution as we offered vast resources. Those hopes are no longer present. I believe Commissioner Largent has done everything possible and has asked you for that same comprehensive effort plan repeatedly with no result. I’m sure the BOCC will hear at workshop Monday whether he sees any point in continuing that effort.”

“This is an important issue to tackle,” said Commissioner Dean Kinzer during Monday’s workshop.

“We need to focus on a financial policy,” Swannack said at the workshop.