Tontitown fires arrested official

TONTITOWN -- The City Council fired recorder-treasurer Alicia Collins as the city's bookkeeper and water utility manager in a 6-0 vote Tuesday after an executive session lasting a half hour.

Collins, 32, of Spring­dale was arrested Thursday in connection with theft of property where the value is more than $25,000 and theft of services where the value is less than $5,000 but more than $1,000, according to an arrest warrant.

The recorder-treasurer post is an elected position. The council cannot remove Collins from that office, said Howard Slinkard, city attorney. The council was within its power to remove her from the bookkeeping and management functions because those job duties are assigned at the council's discretion, usually to whoever holds the recorder-treasurer office.

The council went into executive session in a special meeting shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday, then returned and took action on the firing at 9:20 p.m. Mayor Paul Colvin called the roll and all six aldermen voted for the dismissal with none making any comment. Then the council voted to change a city ordinance that made the elected recorder-treasurer the only person authorized to open the city's mail. The special meeting was held at Tontitown's city hall.

The amount of the theft of property is still a subject of investigation, Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett said last week.

The Tontitown City Council appointed Collins in 2013 after the elected official resigned. Collins also was given the city's bookkeeping responsibilities and paid as an employee.

The city bookkeeper salary is $41,742 with taxes and benefits, according to the city's 2015 budget.

Aldermen had voted to suspend Collins from her bookkeeping role with pay for 60 days after her arrest.

The state Legislative Joint Auditing Committee found missing Water and Sewer Department money in 2014 and 2015, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. An investigation showed more than $25,000 was missing between Jan. 1, 2013, and Wednesday, according to the affidavit. State auditors then notified the prosecutor's office.

Sheriff's office investigators found Collins deposited large amounts of cash at her bank, according to the affidavit. Sometimes, the deposits matched the daily cash balance missing from the city, according to the affidavit.

Customers paying with cash were given receipts, and Collins and the office manager counted daily cash to reconcile the journal, according to the affidavit. Collins was responsible for the city's deposits, according to the affidavit.

Collins also credited her own water and sewer service bill without the city receiving payment on the account, according to the affidavit. Nonpayment on those services amounted to more than $1,000 between Jan. 1, 2013, and Wednesday, according to the affidavit.

Doug Thompson can be reached by email at [email protected].

NW News on 02/18/2015

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