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Following Winchester Parks and Recreation Director Darrell Jolley’s brief suspension for infractions found during a Tennessee Comptroller’s investigation, the city has taken corrective action to address citizen concerns.

The Comptroller of the Treasury released an investigative report on Nov. 18 that detailed areas where Jolley was deemed to have violated city policy. As a result, he received a three-day suspension without pay.

The Comptroller’s report said that the Parks and Recreation director used city campground services without paying user fees totaling $2,250 from May 6 to Aug. 12, 2024, used city equipment to transport personal property and violated the city’s nepotism policy.

The city government released the following statement about the investigation:

“The City of Winchester has reviewed the recent investigative report issued by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury regarding certain inefficiencies identified within the Parks and Recreation Department.

“The investigation, which spanned more than one year, resulted in three primary findings. The city takes each of these matters seriously and has taken corrective action.”

The statement lists the following points by the city in reacting to the investigative report’s findings.

Use of campground services without payment

The Comptroller’s report notes that the director of Parks & Recreation used city campground services without paying user fees totaling at least $2,250.

While the director did not seek prior authorization for this use, his actions were taken in response to ongoing issues involving electrical concerns and instances of squatting at the campground. The director has been counseled on this matter, and it will be formally addressed in his upcoming performance evaluation.

Use of city equipment for transporting personal property

The report also notes that the director used city-owned equipment to transport personal items. Once this matter was brought to the city’s attention, the director received multiple days off without pay. This disciplinary action represents the first reprimand in his more than 30 years of service to the city.

Allegation regarding city’s nepotism policy

The Comptroller’s report states that the city violated its nepotism policy. At the time of the incident, the policy included an exception within the Parks and Recreation Department that allowed part-time or seasonal employees to be hired who were related to full-time employees.

One of the employees identified was a part-time employee, which was allowed as an exception for a seasonal worker.

The report did not include this portion of the policy. Nevertheless, to avoid any appearance of impropriety, the mayor and City Council took action on March 11 to revise the policy.

The updated policy now prohibits the hiring of relatives of current city employees under any circumstances, and no exceptions are permitted.

Deficiency in oversight, internal controls

The report identified one deficiency — insufficient oversight of operations and inadequate internal controls.

The city has taken significant steps to address and correct this issue. GPS tracking has been installed on all vehicles, and departmental operations are being transitioned to a cloud-based system accessible to administrative staff and the Finance Department.

These measures improve transparency, strengthen internal controls and ensure more effective oversight moving forward.

The statement includes the following remarks about Jolley’s service to the city.

“Mr. Jolley has served the city of Winchester Parks & Recreation Department since 1995 and has been the director since 2012. He has been a valued member of our team for decades.

“The city has addressed each concern outlined by the Comptroller’s Office and has implemented substantive improvements to support accountability and enhance the operations of our parks. We view this investigation as an opportunity to strengthen our systems and continue improving the services we provide to the citizens of Winchester.”

Mayor Sean Crabtree said that Jolley’s service record should not be overshadowed by the contents of the investigative report.

“He has served the city well for 30 years,” Crabtree said. “We appreciate his service.”