Jackson
Indiana State Board of Accounts representatives met with Columbus Township staff Monday, three days after township trustee Ben Jackson resigned the position he has held since July 2013.
Advisory board member Lloyd Miller says investigators questioned all who were present regarding what they knew and what they didn’t know about possible financial irregularities at the Columbus Township office.
“What I understand from the State Board of Accounts is that there was misuse of a credit card – and that’s pretty much it,” Miller said.
Jackson resigned at 8 a.m. last Friday, sending a brief message by email to Bartholomew County Republican Chairwoman Luann Welmer that he was resigning immediately. The resignation came after state officials confirmed there is an ongoing financial investigation into the township office.
Township board members said efforts are still underway to “find out what was done and what wasn’t done.”
Miller confirmed that Columbus Township staff members and board members have agreed to remain in regular contact with the state board of accounts while the investigation continues.
At this time, the office is being supervised by Chief Deputy Trustee Roxanne Phillips Stallworth, Miller said. Stallworth was named the Indiana Township Association’s 2014 Township Employee of the Year, and has been involved in several nonprofits that assist low-income residents, including the Columbus Housing Authority.
In Indiana, the primary responsibility of a township trustee is to provide poor relief to residents who need it most. Other duties include funding fire departments and maintaining cemeteries.
For a second time, The Republic has reached out to Jackson seeking comment, but he has not responded.
Many who work with the Columbus Township Trustee’s office seem a bit shaken up by the latest developments, according to Miller.
“Most of us were pretty much in the dark,” Miller said. “You know Ben as a stand-up guy – and then this comes out. Everybody is just sort of fragile right now.”
Welmer said Tuesday she has a tentative date to hold a GOP caucus to determine who will fill the remainder of Jackson’s term that runs through 2026.
But on Tuesday afternoon, Welmer said she is still awaiting word from state officials on whether certain criteria has been met that will allow the party to conduct the caucus.
On Oct. 7, Jackson and his advisory board adopted a $2,417,862 budget for 2025, including $862,622 for the general fund, $794,260 for township assistance and $686,980 for township fire and emergency services. The budget also contains $100,000 for the cumulative fire find, which is set up for capital purchases such as equipment and vehicles.
Jackson was first elected to a four-year term as Columbus Township Trustee in the 2014 election and the latest available salary figures list his pay as trustee at $62,000.
He was instrumental in the creation of the Brighter Days emergency shelter in partnership with Love Chapel and also worked with Centerstone to set up an engagement center for homeless people to access community services, located on Columbus’ east side.
The most recent audit of Columbus township by the Indiana State Board of Accounts, covering Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2022, found “no reportable instances of noncompliance,” according to the state board of accounts.
