Tempers flare as county commissioners clash with Auditor's Office over election pay

Clarification: This online version of the story has been amended to reflect the relationship between two public officials.

The normally relaxed atmosphere of the weekly Wichita County Commissioners Court meeting erupted into angry exchanges Tuesday.

The issue was that election workers have not been paid — and County Auditor Cheryll Jones was not present to explain why.

Assistant County Auditor Cory Liner said the auditor’s office was waiting to get all the workers’ employment information collected before issuing any checks. Election workers are employed only around the time of elections, and Liner said they were considered separated after 60 days and would have to refile paperwork to be paid.

“Our policy is to work to get everything in together at one time and try to get everything done in one specific pay period,” Liner said.

That did not sit well with Commissioner Mark Beauchamp.

“We have a difficult time getting poll workers as it is, and it’s hypercritical we get elections done correctly, and now we’re holding up their pay?” Beauchamp said.

“We’re not holding their pay,” Liner replied.

Commissioner Jeff Watts asked how long the county could hold up the pay.

“Is two months OK, or is three months OK, or is two weeks OK or is that up to the auditor to decide?” he said.

“I’m saying I have not seen all the information to verify that everything is correct,” Liner said.

“This doesn’t make sense at all,” Commissioner Mickey Fincannon said. “I just want to make sure these workers get paid.”

“All I’m going to say is every one of you has had the opportunity, every one of you had these questions, and every one of you knows where my office is if you want to come to my office and sit down and have a discussion to try to work things out,” Liner said.

He suggested it could be done outside a public forum “and not make an issue on the outside.”

“It’s an issue when I’m contacted by angry people not getting their paycheck,” Beauchamp said.

“I’m all about coming to your office to visit. I haven’t had the time because I’ve been dealing with other auditor problems,” Watts said. “Something is wrong with the equation.”

“We’re asking questions, and we’re not getting answers,” Beauchamp said.

While workers have not been paid, most have turned in paperwork, said Wichita County Elections Administrator Robin Fincannon, who is married to Mickey Fincannon.

Some of the commissioners questioned whether new paperwork was required since it would already be on file.

At times people were shouting over each other as tempers flared.

“We’re cross-talking. We need to let folks answer,” County Judge Jim Johnson interjected at one point.

Mickey Fincannon criticized Jones for not being present.

“The county auditor, Cheryll Jones, is very disrespectful today by not coming to court. She knew it was on the agenda. She knew what the discussion was, and it’s completely disrespectful that she didn’t show up,” he said.

“She is not by law required to be in this meeting,” Liner responded.

“The department head needs to be here,” Jeff Watts said.

“I agree with that,” Johnson said.

Watts asked if the commissioners could subpoena Jones to appear.

The Commission Court’s attorney, Mel Horany, said he would have to research that.

The county auditor is appointed by the district judges in Wichita County rather than being employed by the commissioners or a county department head.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: commissioners clash with auditor's office over election pay