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288-I 485 Administration Airport 288-4095 288-1403 Building Cemetery284-2904 . Dixon, Illinois 61021'Telephone (815)288-1485 Fire288-3323 Street West Second 288-zl41l Police . www.discoverdixon.org inquire@discoverdixon.org 288-1481 Public Works 83 288-33 Treatment Sewage Sfieet284-7743 James G. Burke Water 288-3381

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CITY DEPARTMENTS

Mayor

I havereadShawnOrtgiesen's openletterto the City published in Friday'snewspaper. think his letteris both candidand genuine.Shawn'scontributions to the City of Dixon are not erased by theselatestunfortunate events. The SterlingPoliceDepartment, in conjunction with the Lee CountyStates Attorney's Office, is investigating the matter. The City is cooperating fully in this effort and will continueto do so. Thereare a numberof misconceptions that shouldbe clarified. First,Shawn'smisuseof his City creditcardfor personal expenses first cameto the attention of the City on March 27'h. Twelve daysprior, I had directed Finance DirectorPaulaMeyer and staffto review historicaluseof City creditcardsin connection with the formulationof a creditcard policy. Whentheseirregularities werediscovered,ldirected an investigation to determine whethertherewas an innocent explanation for thesepersonal charges.In the courseof that investigation, Shawnvolunteered to me that he was sometimes usingthe City creditcardfor personal expenses and that he owed approximately $8,000to the City for suchpersonal charges.Basedon that information, I placedshawn on paid administrative leave,pendingreviewandfurtheractionby the council. Second, I haveno reason to believethat any memberof the City Council knew that Shawnwas usinghis creditcardfor personal expenses. I did not know. The requisition forms Shawnsubmitted did not clearlyshowthat someexpenses were personal.At no time prior to our recentconversation did Shawnacknowledge or explainhow he was usinghis creditcard. The submitted requisition forms described certainexpenses as "to be reimbursed."Thesenotations, which werefor generally described expense items,did not stateto whom or from whom reimbursement was to be madeor why. I mistakenly thoughtthat thesewereexpenses to be reimbursed to Shawnor to be reimbursed from anothersource.

COMMISSIONERS
Jeftey R. Kuhn Streets & Public Imprcvements David P Blackburn Accounts & Finance M. Colleen Brechon Public Property Dennis H. Considine Public Health & Safety Kathe A. Swanson City Clerk

OFFICERS
RobertE. Branson City Auorney

Shawn Ortgiesen, PE, PTOE Director of Public Works/City Engineer

Third, I am not awareof any other personaluseof City-issuedcredit cards. While other the systemin were able to usecredit cardsfor properCity purposes, City employees its placedid not preventShawn'smisuse.The City is strivingfor, and citizensshould expect,strongerinternalcontrols. The City's discoveryof Shawn'scredit card activity of, the City's presentefforts to implementthese occurredin the courseof, and because the FinanceDirector to surveyCity Department controls. To this end, I have requested Headsas to their needfor City-issuedcredit cards. This reportwill illuminate whether suchcardsare necessary and who shouldhavethem. Basedon that report,the City will then developand implementan informed credit card policy. I believeShawn'sletter is an importantsteptoward the more effectiveand accountable City governmentthat the citizensof Dixon expectand deserve.We will continueto move forward with the business of the City, including the additionalstepsof the Task Force,implementation of strongerinternalcontrols,and a more open Governmental government.

Mayor JamesG. Burke City of Dixon A p ril 1 9 , 2 0 1 3