The Northwest Herald recently published an article regarding the resignation of a lieutenant from the Marengo Fire Department. According to multiple sources, Lt. Russ Kahl stepped down earlier this week after being discovered to have taken $6,700 from the nonprofit organization tied to the Marengo Fire Rescue. This happened over three separate instances this month, all while Kahl was serving as the president of the nonprofit, a role that Scott Klaassens now holds, having been appointed to the position just this past Tuesday.
Before resigning, Kahl, who had been leading the association for nearly two years, returned the full amount of $6,700 to the organization. However, the Marengo Fire Rescue Association decided to report the incident to the local police, though no criminal charges have been filed thus far.
Scott Klaassens, the current president, mentioned that the board has chosen not to press charges at this time, stating that the case remains open, pending further investigation through their upcoming audit. “It’s not a closed case yet,†Klaassens explained. “We’re still looking into things, especially with the audit we plan to conduct.â€
Just last week, Kahl was suspended from the fire department following the discovery by the association’s treasurer of several unapproved withdrawals. Although the association already had safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized transactions, they intend to perform a thorough audit to confirm that no additional funds were misappropriated. The leadership is also considering ways to tighten their financial policies moving forward.
It's important to note that the funds involved were sourced entirely from private contributions to the association. No public funds from Marengo Fire Rescue were affected. The Marengo Fire Rescue Association operates as a nonprofit entity, using donations to purchase essential supplies and equipment for the volunteer firefighters, which aren't covered by state funding.
Marengo Police Chief Joseph Hallman stated that his department was informed of the situation last week. However, without a formal complaint being filed, the police cannot proceed with an investigation. Chief Hallman emphasized that they are always willing to look into matters brought to their attention, but in this instance, the issue was internally managed by the fire department. “No one filed charges. No formal complaint was made,†Hallman clarified. “If something comes our way, we’ll certainly look into it, but it didn’t make it to us.â€
This situation has raised concerns within the community about transparency and accountability in the fire department’s financial practices. Many are hoping that the upcoming audit will shed light on any potential irregularities and help restore trust among the members and donors of the Marengo Fire Rescue Association.
Thanks for sharing this, Dan!
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