By Terry Witt- Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Levy County Library Services Coordinator Jeanine Turner was terminated on June 10 by County Coordinator Wilbur Dean for using a county account with Quill.com to purchase personal items instead of library supplies, the county said.

            Quill.com is an online office supply company that provides coupons in the form of Quill Cash when office supplies and equipment are purchased. Turner was authorized to use county Quill Cash to buy supplies for her department.

            Dean said Turner used the accumulated Quill Cash in the county account to purchase personal items instead of making purchases for the department. The purchases she made with Quill Cash were exempt from sales tax.

            He said the practice of using Quill Cash to purchase personal items was discovered when the county noticed on one sale receipt that items had been shipped to a home address.

            He said Turner knew when she used the county’s tax-exempt status to purchase items for her personal use it was against county policy. He said the form for tax-exempt purchases clearly states the tax exemption isn’t for personal use.

            “The county can’t be in a position of losing its tax-exempt status. Anything like that could jeopardize it,” he said.

            An employee disciplinary form used in Turner’s firing said the purchases violated two county policies. One policy requires employees to refrain from undesirable behavior or conduct contrary to Levy County’s best interests. The second prohibits stealing, destroying or misusing county property.

            “She was using Quill Cash earned from purchases made on behalf of the county,” Human Resources Director Jacqueline Martin said. “When she redeemed the Quill Cash, the items she received were tax-exempt.”

            Martin said Turner purchased $255 in personal supplies using Quill Cash that belonged to the county.

            “Some of the items were crackers and coffee. She said she was using coffee at work. If we want coffee we buy it ourselves,” Martin said.

            One of the items she purchased was Tide pods for washing clothing.

            Dean said Turner had been a competent administrator operating the county ‘s five libraries. During the COVID-19 shutdown the past few months, Dean said she had been “spot on” trying to keep the libraries open including providing curbside service when library patrons called requesting materials.

            “I take my hat off to that, but I can’t ignore this other,” Dean said.

            He said purchasing items without paying sales tax is a violation of county policy.

            “It wouldn’t be any different if I went down to the parts store and bought parts under the county name and paid cash for them. I would be avoiding the sales tax on it and that would be illegal,” Dean said.

            He said the county scrutinizes its purchases closely. Every week, Dean said he and County Procurement Coordinator Alicia Tretheway independently examine all the credit card purchases to make certain everything is in order.

            “That’s not saying we won’t miss something, but eventually we’ll catch it with us going through it as often as we do,” he said.

            Turner wrote a letter to Dean on June 3 challenging the county’s allegations that she violated county policies.

            She said Quill Cash is a coupon which is not automatically given when purchases are made. Quill has a coupon system that allows customers to go into the “Coupon Center” and choose featured items. All coupons can be viewed at Quill.com/coupon codes. Frequently the offered coupons are used for the public, staff and Florida convention giveaways, she said. An example would be the “combos that are pictured, as they are headquarter (HQ) accessible to staff.”

            “The other items pictured, were in fact, delivered to my home (see attached legal description and aerial view, being their balances were paid by me, which I clearly indicated on May 29 in an email to Ashley, et.al (see attached email. If you would review the invoices in the packet, you will notice that all library office supply equipment purchases, (paid with state aid funds), have a “ship to” of Library HQ,” she wrote.

            She disputed the county’s allegations that she violated two policies.

            She challenged the county’s claim she violated the policy for “behavior or conduct that is offensive or undesirable, contrary to Levy County’s best interest, (including conduct outside of work while in clothing or vehicles that identify or imply the individual is or may be a County employee or on duty).

            “I do not see the relevance being, in no way, has my behavior been offensive, undesirable or against the County’s best interest,” she wrote.

            As for the second allegation, “Stealing, defacing, or misusing County property or another employee or citizen’s property,” Turner denied the allegation.

            “I did not steal, destroy, deface or misuse county, staff or citizens property. The items you attached pictures of, I purchased with coupons and paid for with my personal funds. Coupons, as I stated earlier, are not auto-generated to the account,” Turner said.

            “For the last 19 years, which I have worked for the Library System, I have conducted myself in a professional and respectful manner. When issues have been communicated to me, I step up and make necessary corrections. I believe my devotion has been displayed to the county, staff and citizens (especially those that frequent libraries), on a daily basis. I strongly support Levy County and the Library System and will continue to do so,” she concluded.

            Dean said Turner would not lose her state retirement as a result of the firing. He said he did not ask for a sheriff’s office investigation because he didn’t think it was necessary.

Enterprise Reporting by Terry Witt June 19, 2020; Posted June 19, 2020