DeKalb Sanitary District and Tim Struthers approving unauthorized expenditures –

DeKalb, IL. (ECWd) –
*11-9-2015, 10:47 A.M. – Correction to state the actual compensation to board members. This change does not affect the dollar amount of waste in any way, and clearly shows the intent of the legislature to only compensate dollar amount listed in the statute.
We have already written about Mr. Tim Struthers’ appointment to the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees, and have already explained several potential conflicts he has with his NIU appointment and his job, along with appointments to other boards.
This article will explain some of the rubber-stamping and unauthorized purchases endorsed by Struthers and the other two board members while “receiving no more than $6000 per year” on the DeKalb Sanitary District’s board of trustees.
Credit Cards, those things that track everything purchased for later review…
For the First National Bank Credit Card, within these purchases includes food for board meetings when the board members work without compensation, food for staff, parties for almost every holiday under the sun, a golf outing, flowers for funerals, flowers for staff days, flowers for baby showers, gifts for babies, more parties, a year’s worth of coffee for the office, etc.
If we can find this with one these two simple credit card accounts, think how much waste we could find in other parts of the Sanitary District, causing your monthly service fees to increase.
First National Bank Credit Card waste in 1 year:   $8,899.88 in food, flowers, gifts, parties, and coffee

Nov 2014 – $401.06 in food and coffee – Plus $170.77 for flowers
Dec 2014 / Jan 2015 – $1347.74 in food
Feb 2015 – $2867.64 for food and parties
Mar 2015 – $289.50 food
May 2015 – $261.91 food and coffee supplies
Jun 2015 – $363.25 food and party
Jul 2015 – $831.75 for food, flowers, and golf outing
Aug 2015 – $619.53 food, flowers, baby gifts
Sep 2015 – $1085.65 food, flowers
Oct 2015 – $661.08 food
None of this serves a public purpose and if this is any indication of how Struthers and others rubber-stamp purchases for the sanitary district, I can imagine how little oversight Northern Illinois University will receive with him on board.
I’m sure those purchases would be just fabulous in the private sector, but somehow some people cannot seem to grasp the difference between private sector funds and public funds.
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Tim Struthers – picture from NIUFoundation.org