An investigation from the Iowa Auditor’s Office found more than $120,000 in improper and unsupported disbursements from former Guttenberg Chamber of Commerce Director Brandie Tomkins. KCRG reports Tomkins was employed with the city from 2020 to 2024 and handled payroll, finance reports and purchasing for the Chamber. A month after she left the position, city officials filed a report with Guttenberg Police for envelopes of money Tomkins had made. This, along with other questionable bank records, prompted the chamber to request a review from the Auditor. The audit found over $5,000 in improper disbursements, nearly $117,000 in unsupported disbursements and $2,700 in cash filed with police. The main point of contention is a $4,900 cash withdrawal on February 29, 2024. The memo on the withdrawal lists different cash amounts for city events: German Market, Smoke Off, Ghouls Night Out and Celebrate Guttenberg. Chamber officials could not explain the withdrawal. The Chamber has multiple administrative issues as reported by the audit. Chamber officials could not provide sufficient receipts for membership dues, donations and fundraisers it is a part of. There were eight errors in the Chamber’s accounting system over three years that created $12,500 in discrepancies in its deposits. Additionally, the Chamber did not have Board meeting minutes for 34 of its 49 meetings over four years, as required by state law. The report says Chamber officials have a responsibility to maintain watchful care over financials as a public governing body to keep the public’s trust, and they did not provide enough oversight.
