By JEFFERSON WEAVER
Staff Writer

A New York company wants $1,701 from the Chadbourn Parks and Recreation Committee, and the group wants to know why.

David Minolas, who recently resigned from the board, spoke to the Chadbourn Town Council Tuesday. He explained to the board that a member of the committee, Kevin Joyner, recently undertook two unauthorized fundraisers, and the monies have never been turned in.

The issue came to light recently when a collection agency for E Fundraisers, Inc., began calling the Parks office demanding payment for the candy.

Joyner reportedly ordered the candy without a purchase order from the town, or approval of the parks board. Parents attending Tuesday’s meeting said their children helped sell the candy as a fundraiser for the Chadbourn Bulldogs football team.

Minolas said Joyner also sold raffle tickets for an athletic banquet that was cancelled or postponed three times. Hs explained the committee found out about the banquet when families showed up for baseball signups expecting a meal.

“We were surprised,” he said.

Ongoing problem

The minutes for the Parks and Rec board show repeated references to Joyner being told to follow the group’s guidelines on fundraisers. Previous problems with missing monies led the group to pass strict rules regarding accounting for funds and management of fundraisers several years ago.

“We’re worried about our name,” Minolas said. “We can’t hold our heads up and ask people for donations when someone is using us like this.”

At the Sept. 28 meeting, the minutes show Joyner being appointed to the Parks and Rec board, then being asked to follow the guidelines. Joyner reported that he had already started a raffle without the board’s knowledge, and was trying to sell 1,500 tickets to purchase trophies and a meal for participants.

Joyner apparently stopped attending the board meetings in December, but reportedly was still selling raffle tickets, some of which were never entered in a drawing.

On April 18, E Fundraising.com wrote Joyner in care of the Chadbourn Bulldogs Football/Parks and Recreation threatening legal action if the account was not settled.

Minolas said Parks and Rec was not asking the town to pay the bill, although the committee was concerned over the collection efforts. He asked the council for guidance, noting that “He (Joyner) used our name to raise that money, and it should be ours,” although the group doesn’t feel it should have to pay the bill.

Town attorney Harold “Butch” Pope said that in his opinion, the collection agency was strong-arming the committee and the town, but Joyner is responsible for the candy funds, not the committee or the town.

“They (the collection agency) will go after where they think the money is,” he said, “and that’s the town. But the town has nothing to do with this…the town has no dog in this fight.”

Following the dollars

Councilman Rashad Roberts said he didn’t think it was right that the committee should try to collect the candy funds if they weren’t willing to pay the past due bill.

“I don’t think that’s fair,” he said. “He didn’t have permission to raise that money, and he used your name. But you can’t just decide to take advantage of that. You have to take responsibility if you want the reward.”

“If you as a town councilman hired some residents to cut some brush on town property and said the town would pay them,” Minolas answered, “but you didn’t have permission, who would be responsible?”

A parent in the audience also spoke up and said he felt “the kids were used.

“They deserve that money,” he said. “They were used to raise it.”

Councilman Brian Edwards said he spoke to Joyner recently, and Joyner told him the bill to the town was “a mistake.”

“Mr. Joyner told me the fundraiser was for his church,” Edwards said. “He said the bill went to Parks and Rec because he was telling the company everything he was involved in.”

Pope re-emphasized that the town has no part in the problem.

“There are civil and criminal actions you could look into,” he said, “but if the town were to respond to this in any way, the town would look like it was accepting responsibility, and this isn’t the town’s bill.”

Chadbourn Police chief Steven Shaw said he would meet with Minolas or other members of the Parks and Rec committee to discuss further action.

The town council voted to officially remove Joyner from the committee, and at Minolas’ request, accepted Minolas’ resignation as head of the Parks and Rec board. Mayor Kenneth Waddell thanked Minolas for his service.

“You’ve done us a lot of good,” Waddell said. “Your volunteer hours will be missed.”

The board also appointed Perry McCollum and James Keown Sr. to the committee. Both had applications to the committee on file with the town.

Waddell smiled as he welcomed the two new members.

“Welcome to Parks and Recreation,” he said. “May the force be with you.”