Former employee takes the commission, clerk's office to task

By Charlene Sims

info@linncountyjournal.com

MOUND CITY – When Darin Wilson got up to address the Linn County Commission during its public comment section on Monday, Oct. 20, he had several issues he wanted to address. But as Wilson spoke, it was apparent that Commission Chair Jim Johnson was not taking Wilson’s criticism well.

When Wilson finished, Johnson responded that a person was sending his requests for county records under the Kansas Open Records Act (KOMA) using a government email account.

During his public comment, Wilson pointed out discrepancies in accounts payable, lack of commissioner oversight in these matters, the 2026 budget not being formally approved, harassment by Commission Chair Jim Johnson and the accusations against he and his wife made by County Clerk Danielle Souza when she read her letter of resignation.

Wilson said his concerns were about:

• Reasons for Kansas Open Records Act ( KORA) requests that he and his wife Darcy Wilson had requested from former County Clerk Danielle Souza. Wilson said he had submitted requests to obtain clarification on certain matters about the grievance he had filed against Johnson. The most recent KORA requests were about the 2026 budget.

• Communication records between Souza and county commissioners about several issues.

• Darcy Wilson, Darin Wilson’s spouse, had filed two KORA requests to obtain county claims and invoices in order to understand concerns about bills not being paid in the county. Darin Wilson said, “Through these, we have discovered multiple troubling issues. Bills paid out of incorrect department accounts, late payments resulting in penalties, utility disconnection at the health department for non-payment, and I do have the disconnect notice that’s dated July 25, county credit card payments made late and charged to the wrong accounts and also shut off.”

Wilson continued, “All of these are a misuse of county funds, and while the county clerk is  responsible for administering these processes, the board of county commissioners also holds oversight responsibilities. Each week, commissioners are provided with packets for review yet there appears to be no questioning of late payments or irregularities.

“Furthermore, despite campaign promises of transparency and accountability, Commissioner Johnson and Commissioner (Alison) Hamilton have failed to uphold these commitments. Commissioner Johnson, in particular, has retaliated against my lawful KORA request by contacting my current employer, not once but twice, in an attempt to cause me professional harm.”

In a phone call with Wilson after the meeting, he said that Johnson had called his boss the second time to report that Wilson was at the Linn County Commission meeting on Oct. 6 during business hours. Wilson’s boss told Johnson that Wilson had taken a personal day that day.

“Such actions not only undermine public confidence but may also constitute an abuse of authority, County Clerk Sousa’s resignation subsequent attempts to shift blame toward me and my wife, claiming that it feels like harassment, and to the former county clerk of 20 years for the deep lack of calendars, checklists, schedules is equally concerning, Wilson said.

“The people of Linn County deserve better. We deserve transparency, adherence to state statutes, and elected officials who uphold the same standards they demand of employees. It is time for this commission to act with integrity and restore public trust by addressing these concerns publicly and taking corrective measures where violations have occurred.”

Wilson also said he had concerns about Linn County’s 2026 budget never being approved. He said that after reviewing past and current meeting minutes, he had found that the 2026 Linn County budget was never formally approved by a motion as required.

He pointed out that historically a motion has always been made to approve both the Linn County budget and the special districts budget. He said that no such motion exists in this year’s minutes. Instead a motion was made by Commissioner Jason Hightower to allow the chair to sign the budget review form for all five budgets that were stated to stay revenue neutral.

At the time it was signed, Souza stated,“This is just for the Scot Loyd group and the commissioners are agreeing that the group did what they were hired to do.”

Wilson said, “I have submitted KORA requests to obtain clarification on these matters. These requests were not made to harass, but rather to ensure transparency and accountability.”

Johnson closed public comment and then made a statement. He said, “We’ve had KORA requests from individuals that use other emails, government emails on government time, and to  cause our clerk grief. And they are using government emails to do it.”

Wilson responded, “And you called my boss, and he told you that I was not on company time.”

“Government emails,” said Johnson.

Hamilton then asked for more information about the issues Wilson brought up since she was not there when the motion was made to approve the budget review she would like to look into that.

County counselor Jacklyn Paletta gave her explanation about why she believed the budget was approved in that motion.

“The documents were 27 pages, including the certified budget that was page one, and the final page at the top literally says ‘budget approval,’” Paletta said. “So while the motion was to allow the chair to sign the documents prepared, the documents prepared were in fact the certified budget.”

“That document was signed on the 29th of September, and that motion was to allow the chairman to sign the documents that were prepared, which the certified budget and the budget approval.”

“The certified budget was page one,” Paletta continued. “When the chairman signed, he signed page 27, and so the clerk contacted the state about the missed signature on the first page. All of this 27 page packet was delivered to you all prior to the 29th meeting.

“So Jason, Commissioner Hightower, was well aware of what he was authorizing, which was the certified budget and the budget approval. And so the state informed the clerk that that satisfied and we just needed to go ahead and get the signature on that first page following the motion that was made on the 29th and that could be dated on the 29th. So on the sixth that first page was signed.

Paletta stated that, “Jason (Commissioner Hightower) was well aware of what he was authorizing the chairman to sign.”

But the video of that meeting on Sept. 29 indicated that Hightower’s motion was to approve the review of the budgets of Linn County, the Linn County Cemetery District Nos. 1 and 4, Linn County Fire District No. 1 and Linn County Sewer District No. 1 by the Scot Loyd accounting firm.

However, the fire, cemeteries and sewer budgets had been adopted by the commission the week before and didn’t need to be approved again. The county budget had not been adopted as final cuts were being made to bring it in under revenue neutral.

Following the meeting on Sept. 29, the Journal contacted Hightower via text to clarify whether the commission had actually approved the budget. Hightower said he wasn’t sure, but after reviewing the video of that meeting he said it appeared that hadn’t happened. He said the commission could do that in the Oct. 6 meeting.

When Souza was having Johnson sign the first page of the review document in the Oct. 6 meeting, she asked Paletta if the commission should make a separate motion to approve the budget, and Paletta indicated that wasn’t necessary.

At the meeting on Monday, Johnson indicated that state officials had been contacted about the budget issue and had reviewed the video. “They went back to our meeting and listened to our tape,” he said.

However, in phone calls to the Kansas State Office of Accounts and Reports, Mandy Patek said that she had not understood that the budget wasn’t formally approved when she told Souza that it would be okay to sign the budget. She also said she had not watched the video of the Sept. 29 meeting.