GREEN RIVER — Green River resident Joe Henderson questioned the city about two recent cases of theft by city employees and where the accountability is during the Green River City Council meeting Tuesday night.
While not naming the former employees by name, Henderson referenced former Green River Fire Department Chief Mike Nomis, who was sentenced to 3-7 years in prison for the theft of nearly $60,000 from the department between 2017 to 2019, and former Green River Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency (URA) Administrator Jennie Melvin, who was arrested July 14 for two counts of alleged felony theft of over $42,900 out of the Flaming Gorge Days account, and $34,500 from the Green River Urban Renewal Agency account.
He said both were employees of the city, and this has been “eating” at him for a while.
“Where’s the checks and balances here that this is happening in our city?” He asked.
Henderson also pointed out that the city recently published the employees’ salaries and City Administrator Reed Clevenger received a $14,635 raise from last fiscal year, making his salary $172,473. Henderson confirmed with the Green River City Council that Clevenger reports to the mayor and the Council.
Due to the two cases of theft, Henderson believed that the increase to the city administrator’s salary was unwarranted, and that “there should have been discipline there rather than a wage increase.”
Henderson said he was a school board member years ago and that they always knew where their money was, making him question where the accountability is in the city.
“Why isn’t [the city administrator] overseeing these things?” He asked.
Mayor Pete Rust said that as litigation is ongoing and they cannot say much in response. He told Henderson “a lot of those concerns will be addressed along the line.” Clevenger was not present at the meeting.
