Trustee charged $36K to home improvement stores — presumably for renovations

EDITOR’S Take note: This is one particular of many stories on court-ordered launch of Fairfield Township’s credit history card documents and what these credit card statements reveal. Nonetheless, Trustee Taletha Coles did not flip about the receipts for the credit score credit rating card buys and there are lacking statements..

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Fairfield Township Trustee Taletha Coles chalked up her $113,259 in credit card rates over 3 years to her renovations at the township’s place of work on Wabash Avenue, but only $36,691.51 can be right tied to residence enhancement buys.

A Journal & Courier’s ongoing assessment of the court-requested release of the township’s credit rating card statements showed that between January 2019 and July 2021, Coles billed $36,691.51 to community property improvement suppliers, as nicely as to Just Blinds, Most effective Obtain, and Cork Floors.

Nonetheless, there are various months that do not have credit score card statements, and there are statements that are only two internet pages. The documents suggest there are quite a few lacking webpages that had been not presented to the general public.

The Journal & Courier emailed Coles for remark about the investing, which includes much more than $2,000 of purchases at Best Invest in in March 2020. Coles did not reply.

In May perhaps 2019, Coles charged $984 to Just Blinds, presumably for the township’s business office. She also charged a lot more than $1,300 that thirty day period to Nationwide Small business Household furniture. In June 2019, Coles charged $2,652.59 to Cork Flooring and $700 to Kirklands in Lafayette.

Far more on Taletha Coles: Fairfield Township taxpayers funding trustee’s meditation, massages, on the net discovering

The credit rating card statements indicate other costs to suppliers that may thrust the renovation totals even greater, but with no the receipts, which the J&C asked for, you can find no way to get a a lot more precise accounting.

The Indiana State Law enforcement and the Point out Board of Accounts are investigating the township’s finances because Coles turned trustee in January 2019.

Story carries on

Coles was running for re-election Tuesday in the Democratic principal. She confronted opposition from Fairfield Township Board customers Rocky Hession and Monica Casanova.

Republican Fairfield Township trustee prospect April O’Brien is managing unopposed and will experience the Democratic major winner.

In the earlier, Coles blamed her large credit history card paying — like common buys at the Lafayette Sam’s Club — on the renovations. The Journal & Courier did not include any Sam’s Club buys in the full noted right now due to the fact there are not indications that the Sam’s Club buys experienced something to do with renovations.

Paying out: Fairfield Township trustee billed $41K on credit score card in 2021

In its Sept. 17, 2021, request to inspect public files, The Journal & Courier asked for to inspect credit card receipts as effectively as credit rating card statements.

The Journal & Courier submitted a lawsuit on March 17, 2022, for Coles to develop the requested paperwork. Coles offered some month-to-month credit card statements, but there are webpages missing and months lacking from these statements.

Attain Ron Wilkins at [email protected]. Comply with on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This write-up originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette trustee charged $36K to household enhancement stores