FORENSIC AUDIT ORDERED BY PENSION FUND FOLLOWING ARREST OF TREASURER

SAUK VILLAGE |  The Sauk Village Police Pension Board met in an emergency meeting yesterday at Village Hall.  Village Treasurer James Griegel, who also sits on the Pension Board was not present for yesterday's meeting.  Griegel was arrested last week for purchasing heroin for sex and later admitted to writing checks from the Pension Fund according to Sauk Village Police Chief Robert Kowalski's statement to the media.  Griegel has been placed on "unpaid administrative leave" according to media reports and no calls for his resignation have come from the Mayor David Hanks.

The Pension Board consists of retired Sauk Village Police Sergeant Ted Sanders, current police members Sergeants Rebecca Sailsbery and Scott Langan and also resident William Bishop along with Griegel.  The Board is separate and autonomous from the Mayor and Village government, however under Illinois law the Village's Treasurer serves on the pension boards. 

Pension Board Members went into a closed session and came back out voting to approve a forensic audit of the entire Pension Fund according to Pension Board Attorney Cary Collins.  The vote was unanimous.  Sanders, who serves as Board President, will be contacting the auditors for the pension fund, Mulcahy, Pauritsch, Salvador and Co to obtain the costs for the audit.  Sanders will report back to the Pension Board at their regular meeting January 21st.  The Pension Board also voted on a Resolution to remove Griegel from the Pension Board's bank accounts and added Bishop as a signer to the account.

The Village has not been making regular contribution to the pension fund, required under Illinois law.  The Village owes the pension fund over $2 million according to audit reports.  The State of Illinois will begin allowing, this year, Pension Boards to appropriate state monies intended for villages General Funds to make up the shortages owed by villages to their pension funds statewide.  Village's have been balancing their budgets with funds intended for pension funds.