Extract below on funding issues from the article published March 27, 2018, in the Brown County Democrat: “Commissioners taking project offers: Bids expected by April 18 for Maple Leaf Performing Arts Center building”

Auditor Beth Mulry asked how bills were being paid.

“I am hearing talks of things being paid for. I know the auditor’s office, the only thing we paid for was one interest payment that I think was then refunded,” she said. “At what point does the county’s auditor’s office become involved?”

Biddle said, “very soon.”

“We have no written direction; there is no fund set up; we have no money; I have no idea how things are being done, I guess, at this point on the finance. We need ample time to receive that information from you guys,” Mulry said.

Biddle said a meeting will be scheduled with County Attorney Jake German, who was not at the March 7 or March 21 commissioners meetings, to discuss the flow of financing and roles in the project.

“The tourism commission, the different moving parts of this project, we need to all sit down and make sure we all know what we’re doing, what our piece of the project,” she said.

Mulry said she wants to make sure the project is in compliance with the Indiana State Board of Accounts.

“From my perspective, I know the building corporation has borrowed $12 million. The county auditor’s office still doesn’t have any formalized copies of that stuff. I don’t know who has the authority to spend that money. … I don’t understand what’s going on,” she said.