![]() ![]() It moves a little slower, a little more deliberately. “There’s been a little bit of a learning curve on how government operates. Although the transition has been relatively smooth, he says council members are still adapting. Two years down the line, the city has replaced the commissioners with individual department heads, elected a new council, and hired O’Donnell as City Manager. More than 70% of voters approved the switch to a council-manager form of government. “One person that then reports to the council, versus department heads reporting to individual council members or commission members,” he said. The previous structure placed executive authority in the hands of the city council, as well as four city commissioners (divided into finance, health and safety, public property, and streets.) O’Donnell says the new format would shift this authority toward him. “The idea came about in 2014 early in the year, and there was a citizens committee that was formed in order to bring that forward to a referendum,” he said. City Manager Cole O’Donnell says the idea was floated to change Dixon to a Council-manager form of government. Officials point to Crundwell’s isolation in the finance department as the key factor concealing her fraud. Although the city received some of the stolen funds back in a settlement, the incident shook confidence in Dixon’s municipal government. An investigation by the FBI showed Crundwell had embezzled nearly $54 million from the city to support her quarterhorse breeding operation.Ĭrundwell was arrested, charged, convicted, imprisoned, and ordered to pay restitution. However, in 2011, a city clerk discovered a secret bank account into which Crundwell had deposited city funds. During her tenure, the city suffered frequent budget shortfalls, but many residents believed this was due to management issues and the economic cycle. Officials hope these adjustments will prevent a similar case of fraud.įrom 1983 to 2012, Rita Crundwell served as Dixon’s comptroller. The changes come in the wake of the Rita Crundwell embezzlement scandal. The city of Dixon radically restructured its government to a council-manager format. ![]()
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