I
n a move to tighten financial oversight, the Washington County commissioners are poised to transfer control of a bank account linked to last month's Real Estate Expo from the county controller's office to the treasurer's department. The decision comes after Controller Heather Sheatler raised red flags about unauthorized signers on the account, which had accumulated around $7,500 in revenue from sponsorships and vendor fees.

    The account was opened in February with three employees of the commissioners' office as authorized signers, allowing them to deposit or withdraw funds without oversight. However, Sheatler's concerns prompted a reevaluation of who should be responsible for managing the account. Solicitor Gary Sweat argued that it's a custodial account and can still be reviewed by Sheatler.

    Sheatler appeared to accept this solution, but emphasized that any payments or checks written from the account would need final approval from her office. The county controller will have access to all records and can audit the account if necessary.

    Meanwhile, the commissioners are also dealing with a separate issue involving nearly $5 million in emergency radio equipment purchased by the county but left unused in a New Jersey warehouse. Purchasing Director Randy Vankirk and his staff successfully retrieved the equipment, which is now expected to be sold to recoup costs.

    The commissioners will meet today at 10 a.m. in Washington's Crossroads Center building to discuss these matters further. They also took a moment of silence to honor longtime county administrator Scott Fergus, who passed away on Monday after battling health issues for several years.