Lafayette trustee charged $36K to residence enhancement suppliers
EDITOR’S Observe: This is one of many stories on court-requested release of Fairfield Township’s credit history card documents and what these credit history card statements expose. On the other hand, Trustee Taletha Coles did not convert around the receipts for the credit score credit rating card purchases and there are lacking statements..
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Fairfield Township Trustee Taletha Coles chalked up her $113,259 in credit history card prices over 3 many years to her renovations at the township’s business on Wabash Avenue, but only $36,691.51 can be straight tied to property improvement purchases.
A Journal & Courier’s ongoing overview of the courtroom-ordered release of the township’s credit history card statements showed that amongst January 2019 and July 2021, Coles billed $36,691.51 to regional household enhancement merchants, as properly as to Just Blinds, Best Obtain, and Cork Flooring.
Even so, there are several months that do not have credit rating card statements, and there are statements that are only two web pages. The paperwork show there are various lacking web pages that have been not provided to the general public.
The Journal & Courier emailed Coles for remark about the paying, such as far more than $2,000 of purchases at Best Acquire in March 2020. Coles did not reply.
In May well 2019, Coles billed $984 to Just Blinds, presumably for the township’s office. She also charged additional than $1,300 that thirty day period to Countrywide Enterprise Home furnishings. In June 2019, Coles charged $2,652.59 to Cork Floors and $700 to Kirklands in Lafayette.
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The credit card statements indicate other charges to stores that might drive the renovation totals even greater, but without having the receipts, which the J&C asked for, there is certainly no way to get a extra correct accounting.
The Indiana State Police and the Condition Board of Accounts are investigating the township’s finances considering that Coles became trustee in January 2019.
Coles was working for re-election Tuesday in the Democratic most important. She faced levels of competition from Fairfield Township Board customers Rocky Hession and Monica Casanova.
Republican Fairfield Township trustee applicant April O’Brien is working unopposed and will face the Democratic main winner.
In the previous, Coles blamed her high credit history card spending — which include frequent buys at the Lafayette Sam’s Club — on the renovations. The Journal & Courier did not incorporate any Sam’s Club buys in the full described currently for the reason that there are not indications that the Sam’s Club buys experienced nearly anything to do with renovations.
Paying:Fairfield Township trustee billed $41K on credit score card in 2021
In its Sept. 17, 2021, request to inspect community files, The Journal & Courier asked for to examine credit rating card receipts as perfectly as credit history card statements.
The Journal & Courier filed a lawsuit on March 17, 2022, for Coles to produce the requested files. Coles presented some month-to-month credit card statements, but there are internet pages lacking and months lacking from these statements.
Reach Ron Wilkins at [email protected] Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.
