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Thumbs down on deals

Jeffco rejects offer by ex-treasurer to buy vehicle, laptop

Deborah Frazier, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 11, 2007 at midnight

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Jefferson County rejected troubled departing Treasurer Mark Paschall's offer to buy his county- owned vehicle and computer for about half the estimated value.

Paschall, under investigation for allegedly soliciting a kickback from a top aide he gave a $25,000 bonus, left office on Jan. 1 and returned the county property the next day, officials said Wednesday.

Kathryn Heider, the county public information officer, said Paschall also returned his BlackBerry, office keys, entry badge and computer printer.

Paschall, who was unavailable for comment, offered in December to buy the used computer and vehicle.

The Jefferson County Commissioners rejected his offer of about $5,900 for the 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer, valued at $14,925.

The computer, an HP Notebook laptop, was purchased by the county in 2005 for $1,201.

Heider said the amount Paschall offered to pay for the laptop, which he had been working on from home, wasn't available.

Heider said the county allows county officials to take computers home to use for work purposes, tracks who signs them out and when the equipment is returned.

Because Paschall headed a department, he didn't have to clear taking the computer home with a supervisor, she said.

She said Jefferson County's Health and Human Services Department has about 150 computers that employees can sign out for work outside the office and from home.

Paschall allegedly asked his administrative coordinator, Kathy Redmond, for as much as half of her year-end bonus of $25,096.32.

Redmond went to county Commissioner Jim Congrove for advice, and Congrove contacted the other two commissioners and District Attorney Scott Storey.

"We're still looking into it," Pam Russell, spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said Wednesday. "Inquiries are being made."

Paschall can award bonuses, but the county commissioners must review them and can refuse to approve the payments.

At the end of 2006, Paschall awarded about $50,000 in bonuses to nine people. Redmond's was the largest and has been withheld along with $10,149.03 awarded to Deputy Treasurer Fred Holden.

The commissioners haven't disclosed why Holden's was withheld, but officials said there were no allegations that Holden had been asked to share his bonus with Paschall.