The 13 Watchdogs are confirming that Tallmadge Township was able to get more than $20,000 in state funding after we prompted township workers into action in late November of last year.
Some who live in the township were outraged that government workers didn't do the necessary paperwork in 2015 so the township could get revenue sharing money from the state of Michigan. We confirmed the township lost close to $17,000. That's money that could have paid for the entire township annual parks budget.
Tallmadge Township was one of eight local governments the state treasury department confirmed lost money because paperwork regarding the township's financials wasn't filed with the state.
The 13 Watchdogs showed up at the Tallmadge Township Hall about a week before the 2016 deadline to inform the local leaders they may miss the December 1, 2015 deadline to get money.
In a matter of days, the elected leaders of the township put together the financial information to get it to the state. We confirmed Tallmadge made the deadline and got the full allotment of state funding in 2016.
State records show Tallmadge Township is getting six bi-monthly payments of around $3,300. The township will get about $20,000 from that pot of state money.
The township's treasurer, Brenda Martin, told us Thursday the 13 Watchdogs sparked them into action to save the money for the township's taxpayers.
"We got on board and did what we should have done and we're getting the money," Martin said. "We have several projects going on including expanding the park considerably so I know those funds will probably go into that also."
We also found that no other local government in our viewing area lost money this past year. That's a first since the program was started by Governor Rick Snyder in 2011 to make government more accountable financially.
If you know of something you'd like the 13 Watchdogs to investigate, e-mail us at watchdog@wzzm13.com.