CITY& COUNTY
News from Grapevine, Colleyville & Southlake
Policies revised after Grapevine audit
Survey showsmostly favorable city opinions BY BEN KARKELA SOUTHLAKE The city released the results of its 2021 citizen satisfaction survey, revealing mostly positive opinions on the city’s quality of life. The report found residents were generally pleased with the city’s work to provide services and utilities. Residents were asked if they felt Southlake has improved, stayed the same or gotten worse while they’ve lived there. The report found 43% feel the city has improved, 27% said it has stayed the same and 30% think it has gotten worse. SOUTHLAKE RESIDENTS The majority of Southlake residents were pleased with the city’s overall performance and provided services. A total of 1,242 residents participated. 43% think Southlake has improved. 30% think Southlake has gotten worse. 27% think the city has stayed the same. SOURCE: CITY OF SOUTHLAKE/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
BY SAMANTHA VAN DYKE
Auditors examined transactions from purchase cards for all city of Grapevine employees between October 2018 and November 2021. The audit report, dated Jan. 17, 2022, identified misuse of funds by two city employees. Kevin Mitchell, who started working for the city in 1999, was the director of the parks and recreation department, the report stated. Ruth Chiego was hired in February 2019 as the library director. Rumbelow detailed the city’s new payment approval process, which includes requiring employ- ees to fill out forms describing the purchase. They must also justify that purchase, upload a receipt and have it routed through supervisors and the city’s finance department, he said. Rumbelow told council at the meeting that Mitchell retired from his position and Chiego has resigned.
GRAPEVINE The city has revised its policies for employee purchases after an independent audit found two department heads misspent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars for personal use. The two employees agreed to restitution totaling more than $58,000, City Manager Bruno Rumbelow said at a special City Council meeting March 15. The mayor and council called for further investigation into more than $198,000 flagged by auditors that was not part of what the two employees agreed to repay the city. The audit stated documentation was missing on some expenses, or auditors could not determine whether certain expenses were for a legitimate business purpose. The independent audit was done by Weaver and Tidwell LLP, a tax and advisory firm.
OVERALL AUDIT FINDINGS The audit found that employees Kevin Mitchell and Ruth Chiego used thousands of taxpayer dollars for personal use.
Ruth Chiego: Out of 354 purchases, 35 totaling $7,643 had no business purpose; documentation for 94 purchases totaling $17,273 was tampered with
Kevin Mitchell: Out of 341 purchases, 53 had no business purpose totaling $33,359
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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