Gene Autry museum closes amid controversy over management
Now, folks in this
museum's liability insurance had lapsed, some memorabilia had been reported stolen and the longtime museum director,
Meanwhile, adding to the town's problems, a recent audit found that during the last three years, under the tenure of former Mayor
McQuistion resigned earlier this year amid a sheriff's investigation into the town's finances; she has not been charged.
Lawson, a 28-year-old
Lawson turned over financial records to the
On Lawson's first day in office, Sweeten, the museum director, approached him and said he was closing the museum, according to Lawson. Lawson said he consulted an attorney and several residents and they decided they wanted to keep the museum open.
It was then that Lawson discovered the museum no longer had liability insurance. He changed the museum locks until the issue could be resolved.
"That museum is the heart and soul of this community, and in order to get this community going again, we've got to get the museum reopened," Lawson said.
Sweeten, when contacted by phone, denied plans to close the museum -- despite a notice on the museum website that reads: "Museum closed. Will not be reopened.
Sweeten said it's all a misunderstanding.
Missing memorabilia
One question being investigated is just exactly how one museum artifact ended up on an online auction site.
Sweeten reported a trophy which had belonged to
The
Sheriff
Lawson and others also question Sweeten's management of the nonprofit
Sweeten listed himself and five others as board members, but reported that each board member devoted zero hours per week to their position.
Sweeten has refused to provide the town with agendas or minutes of the board's meetings or the museum's finances. As a nonprofit, Sweeten contends the museum is not subject to the Open Meeting Act or Open Records Act, Lawson said.
Sweeten's wife operated a gift shop called the Blue Rooster inside the museum, and Lawson said there's also no record of sales tax from the shop.
"I believe, if we could look at his records, we would find other areas where he was using public funding for his organization," Lawson said.
Sweeten counters that the town had no reason to close the museum before he was ready, and he plans to file a lawsuit.
"I told them that I was going to close the museum after I got some of the things that were mine out of there. And some of the stuff that was loaned to the museum I was going to send back to other people that wanted it. And they closed the museum before I ever got a chance to do any of that," Sweeten said.
Legally, he likely doesn't own those items anymore, even if he purchased them. State statute specifies that if a nonprofit is being dissolved, assets must be transferred to another tax-exempt organization.
Ary claimed the sales were legitimate, and that he personally owned some of the items displayed at the museum.
Missing money
A three-year audit of the town's finances was completed last week, and Lawson said he plans to present the findings at a town council meeting Tuesday.
For the year ending
Numbers for the prior year show nearly
At the end of that year, the town was operating
When reached by phone, McQuistion, the former mayor, declined to answer any questions.
"I'm done with it," she said.
McQuistion served six years as mayor.
Sheriff Anthony said the investigation into missing public funds has been turned over to the district attorney.
The tiny, southern
The museum, which opened in 1991 under the same roof as the town's post office, contained movie posters, record albums, storybook covers, coloring books, tin lunchboxes, cereal boxes and other memorabilia and trinkets featuring images of the late actor and recording artist.
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