Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 17, 1990 TAG: 9003172523
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MONICA DAVEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEDFORD LENGTH: Medium
"I think we stand on what we have done in the past," said President Sara Oliver. "We have really been instrumental in the revitalization of downtown, and we'll stand behind our record. The board is beyond reproach."
The organization, which was created in 1985 to revitalize downtown Bedford, relies on funds from Bedford and on private contributions. The city has been providing $25,000 of Main Street's $65,000 annual budget.
The City Council's budget process for next year is still several months away.
Shari F. Mullins, 26, of the 2600 block of Westover Avenue in Roanoke, was arrested Friday morning and charged with one count of embezzling funds in excess of $200, said Bedford Police Chief Fred Russell.
"Our investigation has revealed that over a two-year period, funds in excess of $8,000 are unaccounted for," Russell said.
Chief Russell said Mullins was "fully cooperative" during her arrest and was released later Friday on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.
Oliver said Mullins was hired in 1987 and was dismissed in mid-February following accusations of misuse of funds. In a routine check of finances, Main Street officials had discovered that money was missing.
Board members did not go to the police in mid-February because they were not sure how much money was missing, and the organization was moving to a new office, Oliver said. "At that time, we did not know the extent of it," she said.
Last week, however, the board took the matter to the city and state police. The Main Street board also decided to create a committee to gather the organization's financial records for an independent audit of its records.
Oliver and others said they could not provide details of how the claimed embezzling was done.
The organization's accounting system was already "very fine," Oliver said. But, in the future, Main Street will use a system where even more itemizing is done, she said.
The board of directors will also "certainly in the future thoroughly check out whoever we hire," Oliver said. No one has yet been hired to fill the secretarial position at Main Street, an office staffed by two people.
Oliver said she hopes the group's reputation will be preserved. "Needless to say, we were very, very distraught about the whole thing," she said. "We want to maintain our good name."
by CNB