A May 4 auditor’s report of the Bethel Park (Pa.) Public Library budget criticized the lack of standard accounting practices that allowed Library Director Dorothy Corbett to write 12 checks from various accounts and cash them herself. Last month, Corbett repaid the library board $37,357 in restitution.
However, the audit, prepared by the accounting firm of Maher Duessel, noted another discrepancy of $2,700, including a $1,300 bonus Corbett apparently gave herself without board approval. In addition, the May 5 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the auditors identified $43,258 in payments to vendors over the past four years for which no paper trail exists. The firm recommended that the library “adopt a comprehensive general ledger system” and employ stricter policies on purchasing and inventory control.
Corbett has been suspended from her job without pay.
Posted May 10, 1999.