A Schuylkill County resident questioned if expenses listed for salaries and benefits regarding CARES act spending were actually used as such.

Palo Alto resident Jeff Dunkel spoke during the public comment part of the commissioners’ meeting last week.

“Out of that $7 million that was budgeted, where did that $7 million go?” he said.

The county received $12,675,970 in CARES money from the federal government.

Mark Morgan, director of Susquehanna Accounting & Consulting Solutions Inc. of Harrisburg gave a breakdown of the money last week.

“Schuylkill County did a good job of making sure what you did you were supposed to do with the money,” Morgan said previously.

Dunkel said he spoke with someone in the sheriff’s office about the money.

“They never asked for money. They never received the money. They don’t know anything about the money,” Dunkel said.

Sheriff Joseph Groody said Friday he requested a van to transport prisoners due to social distancing guidelines and personal protective equipment. He received both.

He said how the remainder of the money is spent isn’t his business.

Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Tobin agreed the office received the van and the PPE.

“We have no knowledge of salaries being taken out of the CARES Act money,” he said Friday, something he wouldn’t know.

Controller Sharyn Yackenchick said she has no doubt funds listed as salaries and expenses for various offices were true.

“The salaries can be reimbursable. It’s not like they were handed a million dollars,” she said speaking of the sheriff’s office.

Yackenchick said the payroll employee who has detailed information on the matter is on vacation.

Expenses for the following offices were listed as coming from CARES funds.

• Sheriff’s Office salary and benefits, $944,711.91

• Prison/corrections salary and benefits, $3,997,056.93

• 911/communications salary and benefits, $1,843,032.65

• District attorney, county detectives salary and benefits, $211,425.77