He said board members Denise Sullivan and Sandra Smith were asked at an emergency meeting called Tuesday to find someone to direct operations while an investigation of the housing authority is being conducted.
McCaskill is retired director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency in Richmond County and a retired colonel of the N.C. National Guard. He represents Richmond County on the Base Realignment and Closure Regional Task Force at Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base.
Gracie Ingram, executive director, was suspended with pay after a closed-door session of the board Tuesday afternoon at Leath Memorial Library.
Ormsby said, “It is the desire of the board not to harm anyone the housing authority is serving.”
He said he hoped the investigation would move with all deliberate speed, and that services by the authority would be maintained.
“This is a very trying situation,” Ormsby said.
Bruce Stanback, former long-time chairman of the housing board and now administrator of a 21st Century grant working with children at an RHA facility, said Wednesday as far as he knows the situation at the RHA office does not involve his activity with the children.
“I would not want what is going on to interfere with the work the children are doing,” he said. “We are in a critical time for testing right now.”
The 21st Century program was mentioned in a letter by Rockingham Police Chief Robert Voorhees because he questioned a bank account set up for the program in which he said Ingram and Stanback were both listed on bank signature cards.
“It is my understanding that Mr. Bruce Stanback is an employee of the grant via the Housing Authority, and according to Mr. Ormsby he has never been given any fiduciary responsibility to act on behalf of the board to expend funds,” Voorhees said.
In presenting his case to seek RHA information, Voorhees said, “I believe there exists a conflict of interest in having an employee that has a financial interest in the grant, signing checks without the RHA Board’s approval or knowledge.”
The 21st Century program works on bringing up reading and math scores of children in public schools who are living in public housing.
Locks have been changed on the office building. A notice on the door said employees had Wednesday off with pay, and were to report to work Thursday.
Voorhees had been awaiting the arrival of a special agent from the U.S. Inspector General’s Office, Housing and Urban Development, to be given the records of the RHA which he has requested and not received.
Voorhees said his department was conducting the investigation with the assistance of the Inspector General’s Office.
The executive director of RHA serves at the pleasure of the board of directors. The board is appointed by the mayor of Rockingham.
The director’s salary is paid from HUD funds, and operations of the authority are according to state and federal regulations.
Voorhees had been unable to obtain RHA records. RHA board attorney John Daniel said Ingram was in contact with HUD as to what she was required to give local authorities.
Housing authorities are required to have an independent audit, according to federal regulations, which can be given to the city.
Housing authorities are also regulated by N.C. General Statutes. In August 2008, Rockingham Mayor Gene McLaurin expressed concern because the RHA failed to “provide required financial and activities reports in accordance with N.C. General Statutes.”
Wednesday afternoon, Voorhees and Detective Larry Thompson along with IG Special Agent Brian Rymill were boxing up certain records at the RHA office to take to the police department.
n Contact Tom MacCallum at 997-3111, ext. 15; e-mail tmaccallum@yourdailyjournal.com.
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