Definitions

Indiana Code 5-4-1-18 provides that the following county and township officers and employees shall file individual surety bonds:

1. Auditors, treasurers, recorders, surveyors, sheriffs, coroners, assessors and clerks.

2. Township trustees and assessors

3. Those employees directed to file an individual bond by the fiscal body of the county.

The fiscal body of the county or township may, by ordinance, authorize the purchase of a blanket bond or a crime insurance policy endorsed to include faithful performance to cover the faithful performance of all employees, commission members, and persons acting on behalf of the county or township including those listed above. The fiscal body of the respective units shall fix the amount of the bond of the county treasurers, sheriffs, circuit court clerks, township trustees and conservancy district financial clerks as follows:

1. The amount should equal thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) for each one million dollars ($1,000,000) of receipts of the officer’s office during the last complete fiscal year before the purchase of the bond provided.

2. The amount of the bond may not be less than thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) nor more than three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) unless the fiscal body approves a greater amount for the officer or employee. The county council shall fix the amount of the county auditor’s bond at not less than thirty thousand dollars ($30,000).

The amount of the bond of any other person required to file an individual bond shall be fixed by the fiscal body of the unit at not less than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).

IC 5-4-1-8 provides that official bonds of officers if sufficient shall be approved as follows:

1. Sheriff, coroner, recorder, auditor, treasurer, and clerk of the circuit court, by the county executive.

2. County assessor, township trustee, and township assessor, by the county auditor.

3. Other county officers required to give bonds, by the clerk of the circuit court unless otherwise specified.

A person who approves an official bond shall write the approval on the bond.

The State Board of Accounts is often asked to approve the use of rubber stamps or other devices for affixing facsimile signatures of public officials on claims, warrants, and other official documents. The decision as to whether or not the number of documents to be signed justifies the use of a rubber stamp or other device for affixing his/her signature must be made by each official. Since each official is responsible for his/her signature, rubber stamp or other signing device should be used only under the closest direction of the official and must be properly safeguarded when not in use.

IC 5-15-6-3 states in part “…‘original records’ includes the optical image of a check…” The State Board of Accounts is of the audit position both sides of a check are part of the original record. Therefore, both sides of an “optical imaged check” should be available for public inspection and audit.

Encoding, printing or bank certification should exist to ascertain that the back side of a check is part of a particular check, i.e., endorsements belong to the front side of a check presented.

The treasurer is the custodian of all money belonging to the county.

The treasurer shall receive all money coming to the county, and disburse the same on the proper orders issued and attested by the county auditor. [IC 36-2-10-9] The treasurer shall give to any person paying money to him/her as treasurer a receipt therefore, which receipt, except for taxes (or special collections), shall be deposited by such person with the county auditor, who shall give such person a quietus for the same. [IC 36-2-9-12 and 36-2-10-10]