08302019 - News Article - Portage mayor renews call for clerk-treasurer's resignation

Portage mayor renews call for clerk-treasurer's resignation
NWI Times
August 30, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/porter-newsletter/portage-mayor-renews-call-for-clerk-treasurer-s-resignation/article_023742a8-eff4-529f-b836-45f2ee7a1e81.html

PORTAGE — Mayor John Cannon has renewed calls for the resignation for Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham in a press release sent Friday.

Cannon said that he had been receiving reports in recent months about Stidham not fulfilling required job duties and "have noticed attendance concerns, but nothing more." In the release, he said he was "made aware of a situation which is a very big deal for the City of Portage." 

Cannon said the Portage Police Department had a patrol scheduling software system shut off Wednesday due to lack of payment. The software is used for listing availability, time off, extra patrolling and similar notes in one place.

"I am at a loss for words as to why this bill was not paid, nor why anyone on my staff or the police administration were not notified about the need for payment," Cannon said in the release.

The release goes on to say that the software company provided Cannon with information about notifying the Clerk-Treasurer's office on two occasions, "but that outreach went unanswered by the Clerk-Treasurer's office."

Attempts by The Times to reach Stidham for comment on the press release were unsuccessful.

"Our residents expect us to do our jobs properly and with dignity," Cannon said. "Situations like this erode confidence the public has in public officials and is all around completely unacceptable."

In June, Cannon called for the resignation of Stidham and renewed his call in Friday's release. Cannon said Stidham should step down from the position "due to lack of attendance and failure to complete the Clerk's most basic duties, paying bills for the City of Portage."

At the end of the release, Cannon said a special investigation will look into this issue and "possibly other duties he has neglected to complete over recent months."

08132019 - News Article - Portage mayor continues fight with clerk-treasurer, calls for six new ordinances demanding oversight of office

Portage mayor continues fight with clerk-treasurer, calls for six new ordinances demanding oversight of office
POST-TRIBUNE
AUG 13, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-portage-cannon-demand-st-0814-20190813-t4ivsrf5hjazdmeitmiwwmicqe-story.html



Mayor John Cannon said he will pursue eight recommendations, including six new city ordinances, proposed by his “appointed bipartisan executive investigative committee” that allege Portage Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham inappropriately gave a contractor work in his office without getting proper approval.

Stidham, who has said little about Cannon’s charges until now, called the mayor “the biggest hypocrite” and said he will no longer “remain a punching bag for (Cannon) while he continues to do his reckless things.”

In a lengthy release Monday, Cannon, a Republican who is running against City Council President Sue Lynch, D-At large, for mayor, called for six new ordinances, two changes to existing ordinances and a recommendation the council form an investigative committee with subpoena powers to look into Cannon’s allegations.

“We brought in the broom, and, we’re cleaning out City Hall,” Cannon said.

Cannon’s recommendations include an ordinance adding anti-nepotism language to a city ordinance governing contracts with vendors and calling for compliance with Portage ethics ordinances; an ordinance requiring all Indiana State Board of Accounts reports be posted on the city website; an ordinance requiring the Clerk-Treasurer to sign and print a certification that each payment was properly approved and paid; and, an ordinance giving the mayor or a mayoral designee access to the city’s bookkeeping software, now under the Clerk-Treasurer’s responsibilities.

The Clerk-Treasurer and the Mayor are two separately elected offices with no power over each other.

The State Board of Accounts is investigating Cannon’s claims, a move which Stidham said he welcomed and a special prosecutor was named last week to investigate.

Cannon claimed his list of recommendations is not an overreach of his mayoral powers.

“It’s more trying to get more oversight (of the Clerk-Treasurer’s office) for the City Council,” he said.

Former Mayor James Snyder, who lost his seat after being found guilty by a federal jury of two public corruption charges in February, began calling for an investigation into Stidham’s work contracts with his future wife after Stidham testified at Snyder’s trial in late January.

Cannon said Snyder tried to get Lynch, as council president, to start an investigation and provided her with a packet of information after Stidham’s testimony, but Lynch declined.

Cannon claimed Snyder was not involved in Cannon’s investigation and Cannon claimed his investigation was not politically motivated.

But, during a Tuesday interview, Cannon took several shots at Lynch, his general election opponent, for passing up on opportunities to investigate Stidham.

Lynch waved off Cannon’s comments as politically driven.

“This is not a council issue. it’s always been about the board of works,” Lynch said. “The council had nothing to do with claims or checks. There is an investigation going on by people who are qualified investigators. I don’t think the council should be doing investigations just because we have subpoena powers.

“This is all political, and, anyone who doesn’t see it for that, I’m sorry if they can’t see that.”

Stidham said he is finished with Cannon’s attacks and said Cannon “needs to get his own house in order. I’m certainly not one to take advice on my job from someone who does his job so poorly.”

Stidham said Cannon has made a number of bad spending decisions, including hiring decisions that were not approved by proper boards in advance. Stidham also said Cannon “circumvented” state law by joining the rest of the Board of Works in approving a $226,482 change order Tuesday morning for a paving project.

Like Lynch, Stidham said Cannon’s allegations are politically motivated and designed to boost his election chances.

“It’s political retribution, because it began when I began disagreeing with (Cannon) about his spending, his approving contracts without budget appropriations,” Stidham said. “When I started calling (Cannon) out, that’s when his investigation started.

“(Cannon) wants to do things, and, he doesn’t like being told no or being called on, especially when those things are unlawful.”

08122019 - News Article - Portage mayor requests ordinances in light of clerk-treasurer allegations

Portage mayor requests ordinances in light of clerk-treasurer allegations
NWI Times
August 12, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/portage-mayor-requests-ordinances-in-light-of-clerk-treasurerallegations/article_a5c91aa2-80e1-5c2f-a3d7-c024a2f2f66e.html

PORTAGE — In response to the claims against Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham, Mayor John Cannon is asking the city council to make a number of changes to city law.

Cannon is requesting seven new ordinances, as well as a few other measures to prevent unapproved contracts from going through. Stidham is accused of spending $70,000 in unapproved contracts with companies run by his wife, Rachel, between 2015 and 2016, just before they were married.

The move comes per the recommendation of the bipartisan investigation committee Cannon put together to look into the allegations against Stidham. The committee was appointed in April and consists of City Councilman Bill Fekete, R-4th, Portage Board of Works Member Ron Necco and City Streets Superintendent Steve Nelson.

One of the proposed laws would require any contracts signed off by a city official to have an approval of work agreement that covers what the work is and certifies that no Indiana law is being violated with the contract.

A similar ordinance already exists, and Cannon said he wants stronger enforcement of the existing law.

Two more ordinances would require all reports from the State Board of Accounts to be posted publicly and that a formal discussion take place at an official public meeting 30 days after a report is released.

Claims dockets through the board of works are the focus of another two of the proposals. Claims could not be added to a signed docket after a meeting and all claims would need to be submitted three days before a meeting.

Stidham had previously stated claims are often added afterward to keep up with bills, a practice which Cannon has criticized. The clerk-treasurer had indicated it was the way his predecessors conducted business in the past, and he is willing to change the practice with input from other officials.

The remaining proposals include giving the mayor's office access to the city's bookkeeping software and a new certification to be signed by the clerk-treasurer for every payment voucher his office approves.

In addition, Cannon said he wants the city council to establish its own investigative committee with subpoena powers to look into Stidham.

Last week, Fekete requested the same thing, but Council President Sue Lynch, D-at large, said she would rather let law enforcement handle the investigation.

Stidham denied any wrongdoing and had previously said the allegations stem from personal political motivations.

08072019 - News Article - Levco named special prosecutor in Portage clerk case

Levco named special prosecutor in Portage clerk case
NWI Times
August 07, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/levco-named-special-prosecutor-in-portage-clerk-case/article_1e7ec32c-c565-5c18-95c0-0392abe277c7.html

PORTAGE — Stanley Levco has been selected to investigate allegations against Portage Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham.

Levco, a former county prosecutor and judge from Evansville, confirmed Wednesday he is investigating claims Stidham spent city funds on contracts for his office without approval from the Board of Public Works.

Levco was selected by a judge in mid-July, according to Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann.

“I am not involved in the case. I asked the judge for a special prosecutor,” Germann said. “The judge then takes recommendations, but ultimately he selects a special prosecutor, in this case, Mr. Levco.”

Levco served as Vanderburgh County prosecutor from 1991 until 2010, and was an elected county court judge in Posey and Gibson counties from 1975-80. He has worked as a special prosecutor on many cases in Indiana, including several in the Region.

Locally, his most recent case was the prosecution of former Lake County Councilman Jamal Washington, who was convicted of assaulting his cousin in 2018.

"I know Stan has done some work out of Lake County, so that's possibly why they've picked him, along with him being from outside the area," Germann said. 

To assist in the investigation, Levco has brought on retired state trooper and Kouts-based attorney Jerome Ezell.

“It's currently in the early stages,” said Dan Whitten, president of the Porter County Council, who is serving as special legal counsel for the Portage City Council. “We'll let the investigation go forward and wait to see what the experts find.”

On Tuesday, Portage City Councilman Bill Fekete, R-4, asked Council President Sue Lynch, D-at-large, to set up a committee with subpoena power to look into the allegations against Stidham and request additional documents from his office.

Lynch said she would not, and that, in her opinion, law enforcement was better equipped to investigate the allegations.

Stidham is alleged to have paid Keeping the Books, ERG Advisors and Paramount Technology Solutions a combined total of $70,000, contracting them without the Board of Public Works' approval. All three companies were registered under Rachel E. Glass, Stidham's then-girlfriend and now wife.

The allegations originated in April, when Mayor John Cannon appointed a bipartisan executive investigative committee to look into potential malfeasance in the clerk-treasurer's office.

Stidham has denied any wrongdoing and has previously said the allegations stem from personal political motivations.