New treasurer says her operations budget was cut by $42k. Now she’s threatening to sue

Horry County Treasurer Angie Jones’ budget was cut, and she said money is being spent without her knowledge. Now, she said, she’s ready to bring a lawsuit against the county.

Records show the treasurer’s office’s operations budget was cut by almost $43,000 from $303,878 to $261,044 before Jones took office in July. Those fund are used to purchase office supplies, signs and other items needed for the operation of the office, she said.

Assistant county administrator Justin Powell said her total budget including salaries increased by $45,000.

Jones and Powell said the total increase came from salary merit increases and employees who transferred into the department.

Money and budget cuts aren’t the only problems she’s had. When she took office, she said that there were boxes with almost $2 million in tax refunds that hadn’t been sent out.

“I need staff to wait on these customers; I need staff to answer these telephones,” she said. “It’s always been needed but I’m going to hold their feet to the fire. This is not about me, it’s not about power and who does what. It’s about providing customer service to the taxpayers of this county who elect me and who also elect them.”

Council Chairman Mark Lazarus said the treasurer’s office was being properly funded.

“It’s basically the same budget that’s been there for the past years run by the prior treasurer,” said Lazarus, adding that it would take a budget amendment for Jones to get more money.

“Every department within the county would like to have more people,” he said.

Jones also said the county is making payments that she isn’t aware of, citing payments to the State Infrastructure Bank that were paid through electronic funds transfer without her knowledge.

“There is money going out of this county that requires my consent and my knowledge and that’s not happening,” said Jones. “They are sending out money left and right without me knowing about it, without the citizens of this county knowing about it.”

In an email to Jones, assistant county administrator Justin Powell said the previous treasurer had authorized the finance department to handle county payments, but that the treasurer’s office could take back control.

“You’ve got anywhere from $3 (million) to $7 million dollars going out of a bank account that I don’t even know about,” Jones said. “Don’t know if it’s going to the right place. Haven’t seen the workup, spreadsheets from it or anything. So of course I sent an email demanding it be put back down in the treasurer’s office.”

Jones’ attorney Gene Connell sent a letter to county attorney Arrigo Carotti on Oct. 12 asking for the additional funds, and that the treasurer’s office be given the responsibility of bank reconciliation per state law. That job is currently being done by an employee in the finance office, he said.

In his response, Carotti said Connell was referencing only a “snippet of law applicable to the Office of Treasurer.”

In his reply to Connell, Carotti referenced an email he sent on August 1, in which he said the treasurer’s budget was “sufficient for the proper operation of the Treasurer’s Office, supported by its historical operation, and that certain representations by your client in that regard have been incorrect.”

But Jones said the office hadn’t been properly run in the past. She said she’s ready to bring a lawsuit against the county to get what her office needs.

“From the moment I was elected, I have worked with council and tried to build relationships, form relationships, let them know ahead of time what I needed,” she said. “It’s over. I work for the Horry County citizens. That is it. I’m going to do what I have to do to protect me and the citizens and my job.”

A previous version of this story did not clarify that Jones’ budget cut was coming from her operations budget.

This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 2:32 PM with the headline "New treasurer says her operations budget was cut by $42k. Now she’s threatening to sue."