SHOULDN'T STARK TREASURER GARY ZEIGLER "REIMBURSE" STARK COUNTY FOR HIS INCREASED BOND COSTS?

Within the past few days it came to light that the Stark County commissioners had to pay $4,000.00 more county taxpayer dollars to purchase a mandatory bond before Zeigler could assume office for his newly elected term (November, 2008) because of Stark County Treasurer Gary Zeigler failed to prevent the suspected theft of $2 million to $3 million dollars by Vince Frustaci (the person accused by Zeigler) going back - how long? Nobody knows for sure at this point how long the theft went undetected.

Why should Zeigler reimburse the county?

The SCPR believes there were two reasons.

First, Zeigler has alleged that his chief deputy Vince Frustaci is responsible for the theft and fired him on April 1st.

Well, who hired Frustaci?

Gary Zeigler did. Some nine years ago. Zeigler claimed to the SCPR back in April that he barely knew Frustaci when he hired him. "Just some guy he vaguely knew from being out on the golf course" that just happened to apply for a county job with Zeigler and who just happened to metorically rose in the treasurer's office to reach the position chief deputy.

An FBI investigation is underway.

It appears to the SCPR that Zeigler did not keep an adequate eye on internal operations and his key personnel. Because he dropped the scrutiny and supervision ball, the SCPR believes Zeigler created conditions for a theft to occur and therefore it should not be the burden of Stark County taxpayers to pay the higher bond premium which the commissioner had no choice but to pay.

Second, the SCPR understands that the books at the county treasurer's office were a mess during the period in which the alleged theft occurred.

Who should have identified this problem and taken immediate corrective action?

The SCPR says Stark County Treasurer Gary Zeigler. If the allegation on the conditions of internal treasury books is true, Zeigler should have been all over this one.

So there you have it folks, the SCPR's reasons why yours truly agrees with Stark Joe and Stark Sally.

We, the taxpayers of Stark County, should not have to bear the expense of a higher bond premium for Treasurer Zeigler.

Gary Zeigler himself should be!