Northglenn officials will ask the Adams County Sheriff’s Office today to investigate the city’s finances after a months-long stream of complaints from residents that the city is misspending money.
Northglenn Police Chief Russ Van Houten said he would give Sheriff Doug Darr a written request today asking Darr to head an investigation into whether there are improprieties in how the city spends its money. Darr will likely hire a forensic accountant to conduct the probe, an expense Van Houten said Northglenn has agreed to cover.
“I don’t believe anybody on staff or council believes any of these things are criminal,” Van Houten said. “Regardless, we feel the public trust is something worth maintaining.”
The residents’ complaints go back several months; some involve Mayor Kathleen Novak’s vehicle and travel expenditures. Between the middle of 2002 and early 2004, Northglenn paid more than $13,000 on a lease for a Ford Excursion sport utility vehicle for Novak. The mayor also paid 20 percent of the lease.
Currently, all council members, including Novak, receive a $125 monthly vehicle allowance.
Novak also exceeded her travel allotment of about $4,700 in 2004 by more than $8,000.
Novak was unavailable for comment Thursday.
Residents – along with a few council members – have also raised concerns about the city’s hiring of consultants, among other issues.
Northglenn Councilwoman Sheri Paiz said the financial inquiry will be a good thing, not only to catch people who may be abusing funds but also to help the city shore up its accounting and improve its fiscal policies.
“If it doesn’t find anything, that’s great,” she said. “But if it does find something, then we can make some changes and move forward.”
Longtime Northglenn residents Bob and Maridee Marks said they were pleased to hear about the inquiry. The Markses have been reviewing city financial documents for months and repeatedly raising concerns at council meetings. They also accuse city officials of changing or adding information to documents after controversy arose.
They say an inquiry is overdue.
“It’s a good idea for them to take a look at things,” Maridee Marks said. “It just doesn’t seem like things have been on the up-and-up.”
Staff writer John Ingold can be reached at 720-929-0898 or jingold@denverpost.com.
