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Century Employee Fired For Mishandling Cash
May 1, 2012
A Town of Century employee was fired Monday after allegedly mishandling cash.
Angel Mitchell, who had worked for the town about six years as an office assistant, was terminated during a special meeting of the Century Town Council. Mitchell was not accused of stealing any funds whatsoever. Rather, she was accused of not properly crediting and depositing customer payments, instead keeping hundreds of dollars that could not immediately be accounted for in her cash drawer.
“Even though there is not any money missing or stolen,” council member Gary Riley said, “it was not where it was suppose to be over a period of time.”
Town officials discovered Mitchell had retained over $900 in cash and checks in her cash drawer that was not deposited over a period of several days or even weeks. The funds included water deposits and customer payments to the town’s gas and water departments. According to Mayor Freddie McCall, Mitchell should have deposited the funds on a daily basis.
On April 13, 2012, town officials discovered undeposited items that included a check dated November 25, 2011; a handwritten receipt for $41.77 dated October 27, 2011, but cash from the transaction was not deposited until December 7, 2011; a March 5, 2012, meter deposit of $50 cash; and several other items that, according to town procedures, should have deposited on a daily basis.
“We had lots of irritated people coming in here after us cutting them off when they had paid their bill,” McCall said. “This is a critical business. We are suppose to be good stewards of money.”
McCall said Mitchell had been advised of town procedures for handling money, including in a written July, 2011 memo following a similar incident.
A few town residents spoke out at Monday’s special council meeting against firing Mitchell, including resident Alfonzie Cottrell. “Why does this punishment have to be so hard?” he asked.
“Can we find 60 more days?”, resident Leola Robinson asked. “I believe we can work with her and bring her around..I personally will work with her.”
“Regardless of how we feel about a person personally, this is a business thing,” Riley said.
McCall said the town had recently offered Mitchell a $1 an hour raise to move to a vacant position in the back office which would require only limited customer contact. He said Mitchell did not accept the position, instead advising that she was looking to leave the town’s employ.
Despite the termination, McCall said he would provide a positive employment reference for Mitchell, if asked.
Mitchell did not attend Monday’s special council meeting on her termination.
Pictured top: Century Mayor Freddie McCall (left) explains why he recommended the termination of employee Angel Mitchell as council member Gary Riley and Ann Brooks listen. Pictured inset: A memorandum from Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez to Mayor Freddie McCall spells out the allegations against Mitchell. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
39 Responses to “Century Employee Fired For Mishandling Cash”
Accounts payable/receiving is when you give credit to an account.
She would have to give credit to the customer in order to justify where the money came from. When you don’t give credit you can hold that check until you give credit. Government offices have to balance their till or give account why. What do you think would happen to an employee of any of our local stores if they did what she was doing? The same thing Mayor McCall did…….Get her out of the office.
Mr. David,
I agree with your comment ” if she thinks it was justified and that the people of Century would have thought it justified, here is a perfect place to prove herself.”
But as you probably have read, she said she didn’t owe an explanation, but at the time she wasn’t making deposits she was working for the Town of Century and that makes it everyone’s business that has to pay for their water and gas.
Ya know, it would not be so bad if she let cash and checks (up to a maximum amount) accumilate and not be immediately deposited.
Customer payments to the city are not recorded as paid when they get deposited in the bank.
That happens with the clerk at city hall taking the payments from customers and then crediting that payment to the customers account.
That is the real problem here.
So what is the explaination for not crediting accounts upon receipt from the customer?
REGARDING:
“- – - so when you are working in a place where it could mean your water being turned off if you didn’t pay your bill. I can’t think of an explanation that would justify – - – ”
Right off hand, I can’t either, but then I lack imagination other than wondering if this might have had anything to do with the time I had to pay twice to keep my gas on, but I don’t bear grudges and might have been the one at fault — or Pen Air might have been.
Anyhoo, if she thinks it was justified and that the people of Century would have thought it justified, here is a perfect place to prove herself.
David for free speech
and giving ladies the benefit of the doubt
To David Huie Green:
I’m sure there are readers on North Escambia that have worked in business’s where you have to make a nightly deposit and see the negligent way in which Angel Mitchell handled her job. Why would she or anyone keep a check without it going into a nightly deposit and more so when you are working in a place where it could mean your water being turned off if you didn’t pay your bill. I can’t think of an explanation that would justify holding back any monies.
REGARDING:
“Freddie McCall wasn’t interested in hearing the explanation, so why does it matter to you?”
Consider your audience. Assuming the explanation would have justified the actions and the results of those actions, the town council and other people of Century might rise up in her defense and INSIST her old job be given with back pay and a raise.
It’s up to you, of course. You know the facts.
David for opportunities
Angel’s Mom,
Without an explanation as to why proper procedure wasn’t followed, even after previous warnings, you really can’t expect people to be understanding. The refusal to provide a reason why public money wasn’t where is should be makes it seem Angel has something to hide. Don’t answer the questions if you don’t want, but don’t be offended that people aren’t supportive if you don’t. Quietly letting the situation pass might have been a better option for her.
To jeeperman and poohbear:
I can tell that you two must be cut from the same cloth as Freddie McCall, because you make about as much sense as he does. He fires someone “for not following proper procedures” and then turn around and do the very same thing himself. Freddie McCall wasn’t interested in hearing the explanation, so why does it matter to you? The explanation will be given at the proper time.
Angel…. This may be your big break. After you’re done fighting this in court, move on. Take an out of court settlement, move somewhere else, and start over. Who wants to work for the city of Centry anyway? From what I hear, the pay is just okay, they work you like a dog, and the supervisors talk way too much crap.
Thank you for your comment Angel, as it says a lot about the kind of person you were in the workforce and to correct you, when you are negligent in posting to my or anyone else’s account at the City Hall that my bill was paid that makes it my concern.
You too have a good day. Oh! I’m not the one fired for misconduct, you’re the one, and my opinions are not negative but stating facts.
To Poohbear: the reason for no explanation, about the matter, is because we don’t owe you one…Unless you were there to see it, hear it, or live it, then you don’t know and your negative opinions don’t matter to me anyway…So, each and every one of you, have a nice day, because I sure am…let it go, really…
She needed to be fired immediately and removed from handling any more
of the town peoples money. If she couldn’t be trusted to do her job she
had to go, not be left to continue to mess with other peoples money and
lives.
I would never give her a decent reference after all that went on during
her time in the office. That is not fair to others who would actually
deserve a good reference and a chance at a job. Why should she
be hired over someone more deserving, just because the employer
was never informed how lax this woman is in doing her job duties.
There are a lot of good people out of work right now so if someone
just shows up and isn’t nice or responsible at their job they don’t
deserve to have it, let alone mess with other peoples lives and money.
Sounds to me like she has one of those attitudes that her looks say
“I don’t have to do nothin and you can’t make me”. Now she will
probably try to sue!
It no longer matters if the Mayor had the authority to fire her.
He corrected that by suspending her until the April 30th meeting where she was subsequently fired by the city council.
Making it all official.
To Angel’s Mom:
Since you seem to be speaking for Angel, Why don’t you tell us all why the $241.40 was not deposited along with the rest of the deposit? Neither you nor Angel are willing to give any kind of answer as to why she not only had that money, (and was given a warning before about money not being deposited in a timely manner). What reason is she giving for the money being in the bank bag?? NO REASON OR EXCUSE IS GIVEN.
I stand behind the Mayor and think he did the right thing by getting her out of the office….how many have had their water turned off because she hadn’t given their account credit???
I am sure Mayor McCall has letters of counselling on file, showing where Ms Mitchell was informed that this was unacceptable conduct and that she, after being warned
continued to circumvent established procedure.
let this be a lesson to all, that there are still some employers out there that expect their employees to do their job!
this is what happens when you do not do your job.
@Angel, you do not need to be making any kind of statements that could come back to bite you. You should keep all of your comments to yourself, especially if you are thinking about seeing a lawyer.
I don’t think Freddie McCall went through the proper channels when he fired you. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have been fired, but he did it in the wrong way. They will proably wind up offering you your job back. Think about what your answer will be. If you they offer it and you accept it, check your attitude at the door, for your sake as well as others, because your attitude can really stink at times. We all have problems in our lives. You need to learn to fake it until it becomes real. Smile when you want to cry!! You work with the public. —- Just sayin’
Mr. McCall is trying to mislead the public, he knows that he fired Angel on April 23rd. She has the letter that he gave her stating that she was immediately terminated because $241. 40 was discovered in her bank bag in the safe while she was away on a trip to Miami. (My gut tells me that He fired her for taking 3 days off for this trip). After he discovered that he did not have the authority to fire her, two days later (April 25th), he sent two town employees to my house to hand deliver two letters. One stated that she was suspended with pay and the other was about the meeting on Monday April 30th. I’m sorry, but you can not suspend someone after you’ve fired them. Mr. McCall also knows that the incident with the $900.00 happened last year and has nothing to do with the 241.00. The $900.00 was money that was sent back to city hall accidently by the bank after a deposit was made, (this was a situation that was resolved last yeear) and he even had the same thing happen to him when he made a deposit. He’s trying to twist things so he can make this issue seem greater than what it actually is. This man claims to be a Christian. Like the story in the Bible, I wonder what would he do if his soul was required of him tonight. I’m so glad that God looks at the heart of man, because It shows the true character of a person. My daughter has nothing to feel bad about, I just wish I could say the same about Mr. McCall. It is so sad when you do things with malicious intent and that’s just what this was.
Ok, now if she was terminated on April 23, which she says she has proof of, why have a meeting on April 30 to terminate her again. It sounds to me that she wasn’t the only one not following proper procedures. She was terminated before it was brought before the city council. Should someone else be terminated also? Just saying.
@Angel you don’t have to explain nothing to nobody but perhaps your lawyer. They made their decision and when God closes one door he opens another.
@Angel Mitchell You opened the door to questions when you responded to this article. So, with that said why did you have the money in the bag and not in the bank where it belonged? Forgot, lazy, didn’t care what? Please enlighten us with the answer.
I do have to agree with you some what that just maybe the Mayor may have overstepped his bounds in terminating you. I’m not sure how the organizational chart is set up on oversight of employees but normally that would be left to some other person or persons who are in charge of the admin of the office and it’s employees. As you noted possibly the council.
I really would like to know why you did this cause if you did it intentionaly it effects other peoples lives and the balances of the city as well. If it’s not in the bank it can not be used as it is needed. The worst part are people getting their services turned off after having paid for them.
Please let us know the rationale behind this.
Jim looking for an honest answer.
Sounds like she was remiss in her duty to the town of Century, I’ll bet that there are plenty of deserving applicants that would not be unfriendly and would make deposits in a timely manner. Good job mayor McCall, in these times taxpayers want to see their public workers held accountable.
To Angel Mitchell
” The letter states that I was immediately terminated on that day, of April 23, 2012, because cash totaling, $241.40, was discovered in my bank bag, that was inside the safe…You had no interest in wanting to why it was there”
You now have your chance to tell everyone reading North Escambia just why the money was in your bank bag and not in the nightly deposit.
Excuse my errors…but, I had no time to proof-read…
Freddie Wayne McCall, you fired me last Monday on April 23, 2012…where I have proof of this, through and by a letter that you gave me, where Leslie Gonzalez was present as well. The letter states that I was immediately terminated on that day, of April 23, 2012, because cash totaling, $241.40, was discovered in my bank bag, that was inside the safe…You had no interest in wanting to why it was there…So, with that being said, I saw no point in attending a meeting on, Monday, April 30, 2012, because you had already terminated me and made your final decision, within that letter and also verbally, that I was immediately terminated. Leslie was present and she knows that I am telling the truth, unless she is like you…Also presented to me, was my last paycheck and I was told to get my things, on the day of, April 23, 2012…And you say that you are a true Christian, yeah…Once you fire someone, they are fired, so what more is it to talk about…From what I hear, you really didn’t have the authority to make the decision to fire me without the council’s vote, so, you wanted me to attend that meeting, on April 30, 2012, to cover yourself, from what you had decided on your own…If only people knew…
They should set it up where you can pay online. This is the only bill that I can’t do online or either over the phone.
I have had a check on hold for a couple of weeks and was fixing to call the City Hall when if finally reached the bank. I was beginning to think the check got lost in the mail.
This was City money and should not have been left in her drawer over night and surely not weeks.
i agree they were wrong to go public, but name one thing that this town does right, the have a history of firing people, for one thing or another
@ Y This is why! Thats your point of view and we all have them.. I can talk about facebook if I like because again this is a free America or so they have told me that I have the freedom to speak… I KNEW THAT IT WOULD BE HANDLED AND NOT AT MY HANDS THATS WHY i DIDN’T COMPLAIN, Y. GOD KNOWS THAT YOU DON’T TREAT PEOPLE UNFAIR WHEN YOU FEEL YOU HAVE A LITTLE AUTHORITY. IF YOU PUT YOURSELF SO HIGH THERE IS NO WHERE TO GO BUT DOWN.
I understand a person should be terminated if their teal has not added up right previsely and they were giving a warning. But, to broad cast it, you might as well arrest her. They could have offered her to leave quietly. She did not deserved to be put on blast for her mistakes!!! This just discuss me, know that you guys (The Town)have throwed Stones at her. I hope the next person will be publicized like this!!! And @Angela YOU DONT KNOW HER!!! If you did you would know that she is a friendly person and there is no reason for you either to talk about Fb on here, if you felt that way maybe you should have went inside! I just think this should have been handle in a different way, everyone reads this website. So now when she goes to get another job, what then if they don’t hiring her due to these accusation, she has a child to care for just like all of you!!!
I for one have followed my checks when I paid my bill at the city hall. It has taken as much as a month to get to my bank. I am not saying she should be fired just an observation of what I have experienced with the city hall. Maybe she should have taken the back office job.
Screwed up, then offered more money to work in a different position and she turned it down because she was planning to leave in the near future ???
Century had better audit the books.
Number one suspect in a case of missing funds is the person who refuses to take another position or take days off.
Because they need to stay in the position to hide their embezzelment activity.
God knows the truth and he knows what is in each and every one of our hearts and with that being said, that is all that matters to me…God will handle it, because I have placed it in his hands…just to let you know, I am still smiling and will continue to do so….and I am going to leave it at that, because I refuse to let anything like this, ruin my day…God knows all things…
Much “ADO” about nothing
Let’s see…she was a public employee. Handling money that belonged to the public for a public entity. Collected a public paycheck. Public funding benefits. Fired and her dirty laundry aired at an open public meeting of public town council.
That seems like we should hide it? Seriously…it’s all public.
Besides…as a taxpayer, she worked for me. I have the right to know she was fired.
Thanks NE For reporting the news without bias.
it’s too bad she couldn’t do her job. i don’t think her termination was wrong. i do think it was wrong to have it put out for public display. move on.
I know this person and I always use caution when paying my bill cause she is never friendly nor does she greet or say have a nice day… she. Should have took the back office job knowing that she’s not friendly with customers. SAD CASE. LETS SEE THIS STATUS ON Facebook. SHE HAS HAD SLOT GOING ON IN HER LIFE.
God forbid employees are held accountable… and will even give a good reference to boot, now that’s just crazy. How about no reference either postive or negative. Tthe prosepective employer can take that for what it’s worth by reading between the lines.
And you all wonder why theirs some many issues in Century.
I FEEL THAT THE REST OF THE TOWN SHOULD PROTEST ON THAT CAUSE THIS IS VERY WRONG ALL ON THE WEB FOR NOTHING…..
Wow.
Do your job poorly, get offered a raise.
Our government at work.