Question: Advice for a New Treasure stick in a Bind!!

I was recently elected Treasurer of our schools PTO. However, I am having a difficult time getting the president to answer any of my questions. The President says we aren't going by our set BY-LAWS this year. I haven't been given access to the account or any account information (statements, balance, budget, etc). I am starting to have concerns. The president is our only returning board member and says we have no records because the previous board members never handed them over. Just a little background. My question is: My PTO President has acquired a check card to the pto account, is this legal? It doesn't leave a good paper trail. But from what I understand we don't have any records anyway. What should I do?

Asked by Anonymous

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Craig writes:
These are major alarm bells. If the president is trying to prevent anyone from seeing bank statements and reviewing account records, that's a VERY bad sign. You should demand to have your name added to the account and to have access to the bank statements. Otherwise, how can you do your job? Enlist the support of the other board members. If she refuses, talk to the principal. The only way to protect your group's money is to have checks and balances in place -- the most important being that more than one person reviews the bank statements every month. You can't have a system where one person controls the money and the records and no one else has access -- that's creating an open invitation for misuse of funds. As far as the check card, it's legal but it's a bad idea, particularly in your situation.

Community Advice

Parttimeparli writes:
Before I'd add my name to the account, I'd have the books audited. That protects you from any hankypanky that might have taken place prior to you receiving the books!!!

Community Advice

debmsd writes:
Lots of red flags there. I agree - have an audit done before adding your name to the account. Our bank requires two (2) signatures on all checks and I can't just go in and make a withdrawl by myself. Check with the bank - what guidelines do they have. I had to turn in the minutes from our election meeting, signed signature cards, w-9 forms and copies of all signers ids for our account. Can you meet with the previous treasurer or any other previoius board member to find out what they know or what records they have? I had a meeting when I took over so that I could ask questions about policies and procedures. I'd be concerned as to why they aren't following the by-laws too. Good luck finding the info that you need.

Community Advice

kelli1227 writes:
This does not sound good to me. The year I was president-elect, we had to ask our Treasurer to resign given some criminal charges that he was facing. I stepped up to be treasurer in his absence. Although he had done nothing illegal (with our books), we had our books audited. We also passed a rule that would require two signatures on all checks and an additional monthly signature on our monthly statement. My advice...you can't be too safe. We hope that everyone has our children's best interest in line, but you never know.

Community Advice

annetteswitzer writes:
At your next PTO meeting, during open discussion bring up the bank account and your job requirements. Don't make accusations toward your President, just inquire about a motion to require 2 signatures on the account, Once you are on the account ask the bank for 1 year back of bank statements. Start a record book for the treasurers position. At each of your meetings there should be a treasurers report. Ask how you should go about giving your report if you don't have access to the account or records. You can make the changes. but do them in an open forum at the meetings, make a motion and take i to a vote. Motion to review your bi-laws. If there aren't any, your board should put together a bi-law committee and at the next meeting present a very rough draft and keep going until a final draft is approved. Hope this helps.