Covington City Council votes to transfer treasurer’s power after arrest

COVINGTON, Va. (WDBJ) - UPDATE: In a special meeting Tuesday evening, Covington’s City Council voted unanimously to transfer the treasurer’s power to the Director of Finance.

ORIGINAL STORY: The treasurer of the city of Covington has been arrested.

Theresa A. Harrison, 60, was arrested Tuesday by Virginia State Police for three felony counts of Possession of Schedule II narcotics and one misdemeanor count of divulging confidential tax information.

The offense dates for the drug charges are July, August and September 2019, according to court records obtained by WDBJ7. The tax document charge is dated July 2021.

The Covington City Council has called a special meeting in City Council Chambers at 7:30 p.m. July 19, and issued this statement:

Obviously, these charges are serious and are of great concern to City Council. In that regard, City Council plans to hold a special called meeting tonight at 7:30 to consider the adoption of an ordinance to transfer the Treasurer’s authority to the Director of Finance pursuant to the Covington City Charter, Chapter 5, Section 5.021.

§ 5.021. (Effective July 1, 2022) Collection, custody and disbursement of local funds by director of finance.

The council may, notwithstanding any other provision of this charter, by ordinance provide that the director of finance and not the city treasurer shall collect, have custody of and disburse all local taxes, revenues and funds which belong to the city and the consolidated school board or to which they or either of them are entitled. In event such an ordinance is adopted, the director of finance shall have all the rights, powers and authority conferred upon, and shall be subject to all the duties and liabilities imposed upon the city treasurer by the general laws of the Commonwealth and this charter with respect to local taxes, revenues and funds. (1958, c. 95; 2021 Special Session I, cc. 79, 80)

Harrison was released from the Alleghany jail with a $2,500 unsecured bond. A Campbell County prosecutor has been appointed to handle this case.

State Police say they will not release further information about the circumstances of the investigation for the time being. A special prosecutor out of Campbell County has been appointed.