Published: October 09, 2008 01:13 pm            

UPDATE: Volunteer chief suspended

Freeze put on Station 42's funds

The manager of a volunteer fire unit that has come under scrutiny for questionable spending practices has been suspended. The county commission on Tuesday suspended Tracy Dowdy, manager of volunteer unit 42 in O'Brien, from all firefighting activity and ordered Public Safety Director Charlie Conner to take possession of Station 42's firefighting vehicles. In addition, a freeze was put on Station 42's funds.

The move came at Tuesday morning's county commission meeting, in the wake of Commissioner Jesse Caruthers' call for an investigation into questionable spending patterns at Station 42. Invoices show Station 42 spent $7,294 within three months at three local building supply stores. It is not clear if the purchases were authorized in advance, in writing, as county rules require.

Records recently obtained by the Democrat indicate Station 42 may have spent as much as $44,000 in county funds since 2006.

If the commission votes to launch an investigation, Dowdy will remain on suspension until it is complete. (See related story at left.)

The vote to suspend Dowdy was 4-0. Commissioner Randy Hatch was absent on other business.

"I think he should have been suspended and I think it was a good idea," said Commissioner Ivie Fowler. "Now we need to let the investigation take care of itself."

"I believe some improper things were going on at that station and for that he needed to be out of there," Caruthers told the Democrat Wednesday. Commissioner Billy Maxwell agreed.

"I felt like what we did was take care of the problem right now, at least until Mr. Hatch comes back so we can take care of (the investigation)," he said Wednesday.

Commissioner Douglas Udell told the Democrat he believed that the board should not have interfered in the matter.

"It should not have been on the agenda at all," Udell said. "If anything is wrong we should have allowed Conner to do his job. The (volunteer fire) governing board nor this board should be trying to attempt to do his job."

But Conner agreed with the suspension.

"I think there's so much publicity on this thing that it was prudent until an outside investigation be done," he said Wednesday.

Dowdy agreed.

"They're going to do an investigation. I don't think it's out of line," Dowdy said Wednesday of his suspension.

        

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