Mesa County talks health department in executive session

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - A KJCT follow-up after we broke the news about an executive session where Mesa County Commissioners talked about possible financial misconduct at the health department.

“The executive session is so that we can get legal advice from our counsel on without having it public,” said Mesa County Commissioner Cody Davis.

In a statement, Mesa County Public Health Executive Director Jeff Kuhr said the executive session came as a big surprise. But. just two months ago, commissioners wrapped up an independent audit into Kuhr’s spending.

Kuhr’s statement says his department relies on county finance to monitor their work. That’s because they write and sign all checks.

He urges county commissioners to talk to him instead of paying for investigations. But the District Attorney Dan Rubenstein wrote he found enough evidence in that audit to charge theft. Rubenstein said he thinks a jury would likely convict, but Rubenstein writes he didn’t file charges because commissioners declined to do so.

Despite what’s happening, the department and county want to reassure the public that you will not see a lack of services.

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