Former Elgin City Clerk Fined

The former Elgin City Clerk who was charged with theft has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor offense. Rhonda Dales pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge earlier this month. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that Dales was named in a state audit report that listed over 131-thousand dollars in improper disbursements by the city and an additional 75-hundred for which there was no supporting documentation. Fayette County Authorities charged Dales with felony first-degree theft and the case was initially scheduled for trial in July of 2023 but a number of continuances were issued in the case. Last month, Fayette County Prosecutor Jason Dunn reduced the charge from felony first-degree theft to misdemeanor fourth-degree theft, alleging that Dales stole no more than $750 worth of property from the city. She was also placed on informal probation for one year.