Treasurer responds to Johnson Park concerns

Wahkiakum County Treasurer Tammy Peterson addressed some concerns about the handling of revenues and expenditures at Johnson Park at the Wahkiakum County Commissioners meeting on November 21.

Peterson said that the president of the Johnson Park advisory board had approached her about some irregularities in the handling of petty cash. After being told that the president had been advised by Commissioner Mike Backman to handle the problem in house, she cited the following passage from the State of Washington’s treasurer’s manual:

“While county treasurers share responsibility for the administrative functions of county government with other elected and appointed officials, the treasurer is solely responsible to the people for the operation of his or her office, and no influence from outside should prevent or interfere with the assumption of these responsibilities.”

Peterson said that despite offering training at Johnson Park, providing forms for record keeping and trying to reconcile the records and petty cash more than once, the problem persisted. Paperwork was not filled out, and funds were not deposited in a timely manner.

The Johnson Park treasurer has denied any wrongdoing and resigned.