Procurement cards

I feel the need to correct some of the inferences and claims made in a recent editorial about the Anne Arundel County procurement card program (The Capital, Sept. 12).

First, the Office of Central Services and its staff have worked tirelessly with the auditor to root out waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars across county government. We will continue to do so, and welcome any examination of our policies and practices.

Second, the procurement card program is a tool for county staff to purchase needed supplies to meet their daily mission. It saves time in payment processing, helps vendors get paid more quickly, and earned the county more than $390,000 in rebates last year.

Third, in this specific case, county staff consulted with the county Police Department and the State's Attorney's Office in June 2017. The State's Attorney's Office advised that due to the low dollar value, cost of prosecution, and the fact that restitution was made, it was not worth pursuing via the justice system.

County taxpayers certainly don't want fraud in their government, but they also don't want their police and prosecutors wasting time on cases where restitution was paid.

It is disheartening to see the facts of a routine audit twisted. Central Services is apolitical. Those who work here are apolitical. Our employees, who serve with no other motivation than to help the citizens of the county, deserve better than to be used as political ammunition six weeks before an election. CHRISTINE A. ROMANS Central Services Officer Annapolis