FRANKFORT, Ind. (August 2, 2023) – Joel Tatum gets a second chance as Frankfort Parks Department Superintendent. According to a City issued press release August 1, Tatum will take the helm beginning Monday, August 7, 2023.
Tatum had previously served in that role; however, was dismissed in 2017 after being accused of a “material breach” of “internal controls” by current Mayor Judy Sheets – then-Clerk-Treasurer – and her predecessor according to an October 2017 City press release. The statement included that Tatum was offered a different position with the Parks Department, but declined and was terminated.
“As Clerk-Treasurer, it was my responsibility to require all City employees to attend internal control standards training which was completed by December 31, 2016. Because of the ordinance in effect, we had guidelines to follow. Ultimately, we are examining this matter because Frankfort’s foundation is built on sound leadership standards,” then-Clerk-Treasurer Sheets said in the 2017 press release.
Details surrounding the outing of Tatum centered around allegations of his handling of money – from keeping money in “coffee cans” in the Parks Department office, to depositing “a portion of the accumulated cash collections from the vending machines” in a “bank account in his name only” to deposits “not made timely” to receipts “not dated as to when funds were collected” – as described by an audit performed by the Indiana State Board of Accounts (SBOA).
In addition to the handling of money, concern was raised of Tatum’s selling-and-buying of zoo animals. An item addressed by now-Mayor Sheets in a February 2018 WBAA article stating, “City Clerk-Treasurer Judy Sheets says Tatum also used animals from the TPC [sic] Park petting zoo as a kind of currency.”
“During the investigation, it was brought to our attention that animals had been taken to some sort of an animal auction,” Sheets says. “I just don’t even know for sure which one it was taken to – the superintendent at the time and another employee took those animals and sold some of the animals and then came back with some other animals.”
The SBOA “requested that Tatum close the bank account and remit the revenues generated from vending machine sales to the Clerk-Treasurer. A cashier’s check in the amount of $1,613.48 was remitted to the Clerk-Treasurer on November 27, 2017.”
No criminal charges were filed against Tatum.
According to the present-day press release, Mayor Sheets has confidence in Tatum’s abilities.
“I have a vision for our City parks, and I know Joel will be a great addition to our leadership team. I am confident in Joel’s abilities, and I know he will work to make all of our parks become a more significant asset in our community. I look forward to the future of our City parks,” stated Mayor Sheets.
Tatum is currently a member of the Community Schools of Frankfort School Board.
