Clay County Collector of Revenue Lydia McEvoy has created an uproar with local leaders after decisions to arm county tax collectors with pepper spray and to change her office's security system.
This week, county leaders voiced frustration at McEvoy for not seeking proper approval before moving forward with her plans.
"The collector has unfortunately made several recent moves that make her seem like a bit of a loose cannon," said Assistant County Administrator Nicole Brown. "The County Commission was very displeased."
Brown explained to 41 Action News that McEvoy recently changed the outer security system to the collection office at the county building without county approval.
McEvoy's security system, which involved contractors tearing out the system previously put in place by the county, involved a new set of keys that Brown said could cause big issues down the road.
"If there had been an emergency during that time, employees could have been trapped or the building could have sustained damage that otherwise would not have happened," she said. "It was big enough deal that the Clay County Commission ordered the collector to go back to one overall system that's consistent with what the commission would like."
On Friday, Brown showed 41 Action News the holes left in the wall after contractors did security system work.
Brown also showed quotes that estimate the cost of replacing McEvoy's security system to be more than $8,000.
The controversy regarding McEvoy has reached beyond the security system.
County leaders have also voiced displeasure after the Collector of Revenue armed her employees with pepper spray.
Brown said McEvoy did not seek approval from the county or sheriff’s office regarding the pepper spray, which served a liability concern.
"This is an issue because the Collector's employees did not have, by her own admission, proper training to use pepper spray," Brown explained. "The Commission has absolutely refused to allow public money to be used for pepper spray."
Records provided to 41 Action News show that McEvoy spent $68.73 to equip her staff with pepper spray.
"I don't see it as a loose cannon," explained McEvoy, in response to the controversy. "I see it as taking care of my responsibility."
The Collector of Revenue pointed to the amount of mass shootings in America over the years and the number of unruly taxpayers her employees deal with as a reason for the pepper spray.
"I bought one cartridge to go in each cash drawer. I was just thinking of their safety in case an active shooter situation," said McEvoy. "Every year, we've had to call the Sheriff at least one time. We've had a man try to jump over the counter. I've had a stapler thrown at me."
McEvoy, who was first elected to her position in 2010, said she decided on adding a new security system so she could keep better tabs on who was entering her office.
"We have a lot of taxpayer personal financial information in our office. When you write a check to us, it's in our office physically for at least a day," she explained. "I never had the intention of shutting people out. I simply wanted the control to be in my office."
McEvoy expressed surprise at the response from the county in regards to her actions, saying she wished things could have been handled better.
"Rather than just picking up the phone and calling me or walking into my office and saying 'What were you thinking?' and talking to me about it, it's been in this public vitriolic way," the Collector of Revenue said.
McEvoy has been ordered to pay the fees for pepper spray back to the county using her own money.
As for the security system change, she disputes the cost of repairs inside the county building.
"We haven't seen an invoice, but I think it will be around $1,000," McEvoy said. "At this point, I probably would contemplate paying it myself."
Moving forward, McEvoy hoped she could work with local leaders to move past the situation.
"I'm learning that there's a new protocol and there's a new spirit about my actions that really did not exist in the past," she said. "My goal is to take the high road and say, 'Fine, if it bothers you, what can I do to resolve that?'"
McEvoy said she has since taken the pepper spray away from her employees and now keeps the canisters in a box inside her county office.
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Tom Dempsey can be reached at Tom.Dempsey@KSHB.com.
