Shelbyville, Ill (WAND) – A WAND News I-TEAM investigation has found the Shelby County Highway Engineer has been using taxpayer financed county resources to operate a private business.
The I-TEAM worked for the past month with the Edgar County Watchdogs to review hundreds of pages of emails, government documents and cancelled checks which appear to show County Highway Engineer Alan Spesard worked as a paid Shelby County employee, as the salaried city engineer for the city of Shelbyville and owned Shelby Engineering, LLC. Shelby Engineering was able to cut costs for performing city business since it operated out of county facilities and paid no taxes, had no overhead and even used a phone paid for by Shelby County taxpayers. A practice that left other engineering firms unable to compete for city business.
“There needs to be a thorough criminal investigation,” Kirk Allen of the Edgar County Watchdogs said. “His contract specifically says he’s not allowed to do anything other than county business during county business hours and we’ve uncovered that he has violated his contract with the county.”
WAND News attempted to set-up an interview with Spesard to get his side of the story but he never responded to our request.
“At some point when you get down to the basics of the law public resources can’t be used for private purposes,” stated John Kraft of the Watchdogs.
County Treasurer Erica Firnhaber, citing state statutes, sent a letter last week to the Shelby County States Attorney requesting the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate Spesard’s actions. The letter is also signed by four members of the Shelby County Board.
The Illinois Government Ethics Act requires certain government employees to file a statement of economic interest. A review of those filed by Spesard shows he consistently listed his business interests as “none” even though he was required to list any business entity doing business with a local unit of government which Spesard did with Shelby Engineering.
The Edgar County Watchdogs report the following regarding his IRS 1099s:
According to the City of Shelbyville, IRS 1099's issued to Spesard and Shelby Engineering reflect $1,144,441.16 was paid out since 2013. Of interest on the 1099's is the fact they were issued to both Alan Spesard as an individual as well as Shelby Engineering. Shelby Engineering LLC 1099"s totaled $1,114,983.9 since 2013 while those to Alan Spesard totaled $29,457.26 since 2013.
All of the 1099's reflect they are from the General Fund even though prior records received reflect payments made to Shelby Engineering were also done from the Water Fund, Business District Fund, and West Business District Fund.
For more information related to this story go to: edgarcountywatchdogs.com
