THE WHEELS KEEP ON TURNING

How many ways can our GM explain the story about the purchase of tires and wheels? Let’s review this metamorphic story.

One of the agenda items from the August 20th Coffee/Workshop was to address if personal tires and wheels may have been purchased by our GM with his Aramark credit card. When the GM gave his explanation that on August 12th, 2008, his truck received a scheduled new paint job along with tires that were damaged from Hurricane Dolly and a set of wheels. He said he had paid for these in full out of his own pocket and made it clear that they were not on the credit card. He plainly gave the impression that they never had been. He displayed to the audience the copies of his checks and receipts that proved such?

Because of this apparent clarity of proof, the issue was laid to rest.

It resurfaced at the January’s Board meeting when the audit committee discovered the date and number on the receipt that our GM had previously waved at the audience months earlier didn’t seem to correspond with the dates and numbers on receipts given out from the office for that particular day. During the motion requesting the approval for the audit committee’s recommendations; Director Hansen said the recommendation towards the use of Aramark’s managerial credit cards was a little weak. He went on to say it appeared that the GM used the Aramark credit card for his August 12th purchase and paid it off on August 25th, just before it was to have been brought up to discuss as an agenda item. Our GM sat silent and gave no response.

Hours later, the recessed meeting resumed and was immediately interrupted by the general manager now wanting to give his explanation with demanding this to be put to bed. He said in one of the Town Hall meetings (?) after Hurricane Dolly, they (?) brought up and said that they (?) were going to present the paying for his damage tires to the board. He said he purchased these tires and wheels using his along with another manager’s company credit cards. He said he withheld any action on repaying this because the credit card receipt would not be due for thirty days and he was waiting for they (?) to get this purchase approved through our Board. He said that never came about, so before the thirty days was up, he on August 25th, went to the front office and paid the $558.61 balance. He said by mistake he was given a receipt with the same date that was on his purchase receipt.

One must now wonder with this story why there were no references to these events months ago. Who exactly is “THEY” suggesting to pay for these tires? To make this even weirder, after this was all said and done, our Board President said that he had signed a petty cash check and agreed to pay for these tires. He said this was done after the fact and couldn’t remember on what date. Why didn’t he bring this up earlier to shorten Director Hansen’s inquiry? Why didn’t the second director whose signature is required for the petty cash check say something?

Why was this strung out so immeasurably long? Why didn’t our Gm just explain this on August 20th to the parties interested? Why didn’t “THEY” who suggested paying for the tires just explain this on August 20th to those concerned? Why were all of the Directors not informed that we, the owners of LIV, paid for our GM’s tires and wheels? The more this onion gets peeled, the more this story changes. The more this story changes, the more it doesn’t make sense. Who did what, when, and where with our owner’s monies? We, as owners deserved to be correctly informed the first time around and not have to rely on an audit for straight answers. It was not made clear if the reimbursements check our President had signed included the $250 for the chrome wheels.

Director Hansen address this as an example of Aramark credit card misuse and just wanted better policies implemented to keep any future misuse similar to this from happening again. Regardless of what really happened, the company credit card should not have been used like this. When Director Hansen directly asked our GM are you supposed to use your Aramark credit card for personal use? The GM replied” I can do that”.

Do you feel management should be able to use company credit cards for their personal use?